Sara Duterte won't resign amid impeachment

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said that she is not contemplating on resigning from her position yet after the House of Representatives impeached her earlier this week.

"Wala pa tayo doon. Masyado pang malayo 'yung mga ganyan na mga bagay," Duterte said in a press conference.

"Nandoon pa lang tayo sa pagbabasa ng—, actually, wala pa tayo doon dahil 'yung mga abogado lang 'yung mga nagtatrabaho. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang ginagawa nila," she added.

Duterte said she has not read the verified impeachment complaint yet.

While the impeachment court has yet to be convened, Duterte said at this early stage that she will not appear since, she said, it is allowed.

"Kung puwede naman hindi and I understand puwede naman, hindi na. Kasi baka ma-intimidate lang sila lahat sa presence ko doon," she said.

Asked if she is confident that the Senate will acquit her, Duterte refused to comment, but she mentioned that she has not talked to any of the senators yet, including her "friends."

"I'm not counting numbers of votes in the Senate, so we are not there yet. We are still, the legal team is still in the preparation of the defense and what we will do moving forward," she said.

'God save the Philippines'

This is the first time that Duterte faced the media after the endorsement of her impeachment to the Senate.

"Sa mga nakaraang araw, marami ang humihingi ng reaksyon, komento, o damdamin ko sa issue ng impeachment na naihain laban sa akin," Duterte said, reading her prepared statement.

"Sa kabila ng lahat ng aking mga naging pahayag ukol sa planong impeachment sa mga nakaraang buwan, ang tangning masasabi ko na lamang sa puntong ito ay 'God save the Philippines,'" she added.

Asked how she feels about the development on the impeachment against her, Duterte said, "I'm okay."

"Mas masakit pa maiwan ng boyfriend o girlfriend kaysa ma-impeach ka ng House of Representatives," she added.

According to the Vice President, her team has been preparing for the impeachment since November 2023.

"We've already started preparing the moment [ACT Teachers Partylist Rep.] France Castro announced the impeachment plans which is November of 2023. So, November of 2023, there were already lawyers doing their work for the impeachment. We leave it to the lawyers," she said.

FPRRD as Sara's counsel?

Duterte said she will have a meeting with her pool of lawyers later today, Friday. She refused to disclose the members of her legal team.

She added that they are "overwhelmed" by the number of lawyers who signified their intention to help in her defense.

Although former President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to lawyer for her in the impeachment case, the Vice President said she would tell her father not to do so considering his age.

"Maybe he wants to. He can be part of the defense team. But because of his age and because of rigorous preparations in an impeachment case, baka sabihin ko sa kanya na huwag na lang siyang mag-lead dahil medyo may edad na si former President Rodrigo Duterte. He's already 80 years old," she said.

After she was impeached, Duterte said she only communicated with her father through the former president's assistant.

"Sinabi ko na, I think I said, everything will be alright. 'Yan ata ang sinabi ko. His reply was a song. [The song was] MacArthur's Park. Nagpadala siya ng video na kumakanta siya," she said.

Assassination remark

In the same press conference, the Vice President refused to comment on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s remarks on Thursday that he has no hand in the impeachment moves against her.

Duterte reiterated her denial that she made assassination threats against the President.

"I did not make an assassination threat to the President. Sila lang ang nagsasabi niyan. Sila lang ang nagsasabi may assassination, sila nagsasabi may assassin, may gunman. I did not say that," she said. 

One of the seven Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President include conspiracy to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Duterte's ''assassination'' statement was made during a virtual press conference in November 2024, where she slammed the House of Representatives' order to transfer Atty. Zuleika Lopez, her chief of staff, from the House detention facility to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City.

"'Wag kang mag-alala sa security ko kasi may kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 'pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez," Duterte said during a virtual press conference.

(I've already spoken to someone, so don't worry about my security. I told that person to kill BBM [Marcos' initials] Liza Araneta and Martin Romualdez if I were to be slain.)

“Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. ‘Pag namatay ako, wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila. And then he said 'yes.'''

More endorsers from House

The House of Representatives on Wednesday endorsed to the Senate the verified impeachment complaint with 215 congressmen supporting it.

On Friday, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said another 25 House members have signed the impeachment complaint against the Vice President, bringing the total number of endorsers to 240. 

One-third of the House of Representatives, or 102 members, was needed to transmit the complaint to the Senate without having to go through committee hearings.

"These lawmakers were unable to attend the initial oath-taking and verification due to prior commitments abroad or in their districts," Velasco stated on Friday. "However, they have sent their verifications to formalize their support for the proceedings."

Betrayal?

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said the impeachment court, which will try Duterte, has yet to be convened. The impeachment trial will only start once the Senate resumes session in June.

Asked if she felt betrayed by congressmen, particularly those who are from their bailiwick, Mindanao, Duterte said she "has no feelings" because there is nothing that is "worthwhile" in their friendships.

"Wala akong feelings about it kasi...I don't join their circles, but we are friends...To say that meron akong close relationship, personal relationship with them, wala naman," she said.

"Kaya siguro, ganyan din siguro kadali sa kanila ang magdesisyon about the impeachment kasi wala naman talagang something that is worthwhile sa aming pagiging magkaibigan," she added.

She also took a jab at congressmen defending their signatures on the verified impeachment complaint.

"To explain or defend your signature in a 'yes' petition for impeachment, then you feel that you have done something wrong. Kasi kung wala ka namang ginawang mali, bakit mo i-defend 'yung pirma mo?” Duterte said.

Despite the impeachment, Duterte said she is still considering running for president in the 2028 national and local elections.

"We are seriously considering that. But it's difficult to decide without numbers. So, kailangan malaman 'yung surveys and numbers next year pa 'yun," she said. — AOL/ VDV, GMA Integrated News