Vice President Sara Duterte has maintained that the burden remains on the prosecution to prove its case as the impeachment proceedings begins on Monday, July 6, 2026.

In a statement, Duterte said the impeachment proceedings must be guided by the Constitution and due process.

She also said that a President’s opinion has no bearing on impeachment proceedings.

This after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. over the weekend said that Duterte should attend the impeachment trial against her.

Duterte explained that the respondent has the right to be represented by legal counsel and the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights.

“Choosing to appear through counsel rather than testify personally does not diminish accountability or imply a lack of transparency,” Duterte said.

“The integrity of an impeachment trial depends on adherence to the rule of law-not on whether the respondent personally takes the stand,” Duterte added.

The Vice President urged public officials to rely on law, policies, scientific evidence, and objective facts when addressing public issues.

In a report by GMA News Online, House prosecutors are expected to formally present the Articles of Impeachment, while Duterte's legal team is expected to enter its appearance before the court.

Senators are also expected to establish the rules and timetable for the trial, including deadlines for pleadings and the presentation of evidence.

At the opening of the trial, the House prosecution panel is expected to present officials from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the House of Representatives as among its first witnesses.

The witnesses are expected to testify on Impeachment Article I, which details the alleged grave threat and assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

The impeachment complaints alleged that the Vice President betrayed public trust through several acts, including her alleged misuse of P612 million worth of confidential funds, dereliction of official duty due to her willful refusal to recognize congressional oversight during budget deliberations, her alleged threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and members of his family, her alleged unexplained wealth and failure to disclose all her properties and interests in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), etc.

(With reports from GMA News Online)