Sara Duterte on impeachment trial: I will be bloodied but unbowed

Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday that she will be "bloodied but unbowed" amid her impeachment trial.

Duterte went to the Senate to meet with her defense lawyers.

In her brief appearance to the media, she said, "in this bloodbath and bludgeoning, I will be bloodied but unbowed."

The Vice President did not give a further statement nor answer any queries from the media.

In a press conference before Duterte arrived, Atty. Michael Poa said the Vice President will not attend Tuesday’s impeachment trial since she has other engagements.

“Yes, I can confirm na dadating si Vice President Sara Duterte in a few minutes, but she will only be here for a meeting with the defense team,” Poa told reporters.

“Meron kaming napag-usapan na magkikita kami today dito sa holding room ng defense team para magpaliwanag ang ilang bagay-bagay, but she will not be attending the hearing, the scheduled hearing this afternoon,” he added.

(We had agreed to meet today here in the defense team's holding room to discuss and clarify a few matters. However, she will not be attending the hearing scheduled for this afternoon.)

Poa further said, “She has engagements din po kasi (she has other engagements); that’s why she’s in Manila, and she will have to proceed to her engagements after the meeting.”

He explained that Duterte has been preparing the OVP's response to the incoming tropical cyclone.

Poa also said Duterte is not evading the impeachment trial, as her lawyers are present in the Senate.

“Yes, hindi po (iniiwasan ni Duterte ang impeachment trial) kaya nga po nandito 'yung mga abogado niya. Kung umiwas po kami eh baka hindi na kami lumahok sa Senado,” he said.

(Yes, Duterte is not evading the impeachment trial. That is precisely why her lawyers are here. If she were trying to avoid the impeachment trial, we probably would not be participating in the Senate.)

He added that the Vice President will attend the impeachment trial if needed, upon the advice of her legal counsel.

Duterte’s impeachment trial formally began on Monday, July 6, with Senator Francis Escudero elected as the new presiding officer.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte in May over allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

On May 18, the Senate convened as an impeachment court. On June 1, Duterte's camp filed its answer to the Articles of Impeachment, asking the court to junk the impeachment case against her. —AOL, GMA News