VP Sara Duterte: Marcos' opinion 'of no importance' in impeachment proceedings

Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday said the opinion of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on her impeachment trial is “of no importance,” stressing that the proceedings should be governed by the Constitution and due process.

In a statement, Duterte said the decision on whether she would personally testify before the Senate impeachment court is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights.

“The opinion of a President in an impeachment proceeding is of no importance. Impeachment proceedings must be guided by the Constitution and due process. The respondent has the right to be represented by counsel, and the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights,” she said.

Duterte issued the statement after Marcos said he believes it would be better for the Vice President to personally appear before the impeachment court and that, if he were in her position, he would insist on attending.

The Vice President said the burden remains on the prosecution to prove its case.

“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.

Duterte also said public officials should rely on the law and objective facts rather than personal views when discussing matters of public concern.

“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,” she said.

Earlier in the day, defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa said the Vice President’s physical attendance at her impeachment trial will depend on how the proceedings unfold.

Interviewed on GMA's "Unang Balita" hours before the start of the trial, Poa said he declined to discuss whether Duterte would attend the proceedings in person.

"Hindi ko na muna siguro sagutin 'yan dahil ayaw natin na muna sa headline ang attendance ng Vice President. Hintayin na lang natin mamaya, ilang oras na lang, and then siguro dapat ang maging focus ay talagang iyong mga proceedings ng unang araw ng impeachment," he said.

(I'd rather not answer that [question] yet because we don't want the Vice President's attendance to become the headline. Let's just wait a few hours, and I think the focus should really be on the proceedings of the first day of the impeachment.) — RSJ, GMA News