VP Sara says legal team already preparing for impeachment trial

Vice President Sara Duterte said her legal team is already preparing for her impeachment trial while she is also taking care of the legal preparations of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Hague, Netherlands. 

“Okay naman na yung sa impeachment kasi before nangyari yung extraordinary rendition or pagkuha kay pangulo doon sa Pilipinas, nabuo na yung team ng impeachment. So on that point, okay na sila and they are preparing for trial,” she said in Mariz Umali’s report in “24 Oras” on Tuesday. 

(Everything is okay with regards to the impeachment because even before the extraordinary detention of the former president in the Philippines, the team for the impeachment was already formed. So on that point, they are already okay and they are preparing for the trial.) 

Duterte said she cannot leave her father alone in the Netherlands until his own legal team has been finalized. 

“Ang dito lang kasi sa ICC, hindi pa mabuo yung team kasi we are waiting for papers for other lawyers,” Duterte added. “So ‘yun yung kailangan kong matapos at kailangan kong ma-introduce yung lawyer in charge for PRRD inside and the outside world doon sa mga kapatid ko and sa kay Cielito, para pwede na akong bumalik sa Pilipinas at bumalik na lang dito kapag kailangan.” 

(With regards to the ICC case, the team has yet to be formed because we are still waiting for the papers of other lawyers. So we need to finish that and introduce the lawyer in charge of PRRD to my siblings and to Cielito [“Honeylet” Avanceña, her father’s partner]. Once everything is ironed out, I can go back to the Philippines and just return here if needed.) 

While the Vice President is currently abroad, additional names were found as supposed recipients of confidential funds from the Department of Education (DepEd) during her stint as the agency’s secretary.

In response, Duterte said that she can also say whatever she wants. 

“‘Di ba nag-file na sila ng impeachment sa akin and nandiyan na yan sa Senate. They can say what they want to say, and ako din, nag-file na rin si Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez questioning the budget,” she said. 

(They already filed an impeachment complaint against me and it’s already with the Senate. They can say what they want to say, and Congressman Pantaleon Alvarez already filed a complaint questioning the budget.) 

“I can say what I want to say. It doesn’t have to be na dahil pinupuna ko sila sa ginagawa nila sa ating bayan ay kailangan ko din sagutin ‘yung sinasabi nila.” 

(I can say what I want to say. It doesn’t mean that I’m criticizing whatever they are doing to our country, I should also respond to whatever they say.) 

Marcos resign? 

Further, Duterte said she did not say that President Ferdinand Marcos should resign from his post after she met with her father’s supporters in The Hague who were shouting “Marcos resign!” 

“Wala akong sinasabi ever na dapat mag-resign si BBM. Ang sinabi ko lang kahapon, kung nanawagan kayo ng ‘BBM resign!,’ bigyan niyo ng rason kung bakit ayan ang panawagan niyo sa kanila. So I gave them examples,” she said. 

(I never said that BBM should resign. What I said yesterday is if they are calling for ‘BBM resign!’ then they should have a reason on why they are making such a call. So I gave them examples.) 

Sought for comment, Malacañang asked who will benefit if the President steps down from his post.

“Kung pinagreresign po nila ang Pangulo, sino ba ang makikinabang (If they are asking for the President's resignation, who will benefit from it)?” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro asked rhetorically.

On the other hand, Duterte added that it’s still too early for her to say if she has plans to run for the presidency in 2028. 

“It’s really too early, [...]  Ang advice sa akin noon was fourth quarter of 2026, so December of 2026 supposedly yun dapat mayroong desisyon. That we have to see by the numbers, and by science, and mathematics,” she said. 

(It’s really too early, [...] The advice given to me was I should make a decision by the fourth quarter of 2026 or December of 2026. That we have to see by the numbers, and by science, and mathematics.) 

Dutertes to back Imee’s senate bid? 

Some people noticed that Marcos did not mention her sister, Senator Imee Marcos, in the campaign sorties of the administration’s senatorial bets. This was after the reelectionist solon earlier held a committee hearing on the detention of the former president. 

When asked if Imee can be adopted by the PDP-Laban, Duterte said that it will be up to her father. 

“Ang slate po ay under president Rodrigo Duterte (The slate is under president Rodrigo Duterte). It’s sad that this happened to Senator Imee Marcos, pero I truly appreciate that she opened a Senate inquiry on the illegal arrest of president Duterte,” she said. —Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News