Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s personal views on her impeachment case are immaterial, maintaining that the proceedings should be governed by the Constitution and due process rather than political opinion.
Duterte issued the statement after Marcos, speaking during his visit to Canada on Saturday, said it would be “much easier” for the vice president to face the Senate impeachment court and respond to the allegations against her. The President also said that if he were in Duterte’s position, he would insist on appearing before the impeachment tribunal.
The Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, formally convened Monday to begin proceedings on the complaint against the vice president.
In a statement, Duterte said the Constitution guarantees respondents in impeachment cases the right to legal representation, and whether they testify personally is a matter for their legal team to determine.
“The opinion of a President in an impeachment proceeding is of no importance. Impeachment proceedings must be guided by the Constitution and due process,” Duterte said.
She stressed that a respondent “has the right to be represented by counsel, and the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights.”
Duterte also underscored that the responsibility to establish the charges rests with the prosecution.
“The burden remains on the prosecution to prove its case,” she said.
The vice president likewise rejected suggestions that opting to appear through legal counsel instead of taking the witness stand reflects an unwillingness to be held accountable.
“Choosing to appear through counsel rather than testify personally does not diminish accountability or imply a lack of transparency. The integrity of an impeachment trial depends on adherence to the rule of law—not on whether the respondent personally takes the stand,” she said.
She also called on government officials to avoid injecting personal views into legal proceedings.
“At all times, public officials are best served by keeping their personal opinions to themselves and relying instead on the law, established policies, scientific evidence, and objective facts when addressing matters of public concern,” Duterte said.
The House of Representatives’ prosecution panel has identified 57 individuals who may be presented as witnesses during the impeachment trial. Among them are Office of the Vice President Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez, government officials, and law enforcement personnel.
Duterte faces allegations that include the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery and corruption, and an alleged assassination plot against President Marcos.
