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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Guilty or acquitted, VP Sara 'at peace' on impeachment trial's outcome

Guilty or acquitted, VP Sara 'at peace' on impeachment trial's outcome

Published May 3, 2025 11:19 am
As early as now, Vice President Sara Duterte said she is already "at peace" at whether she will be found  guilty or not during the impeachment trial that's expected to start in July.

                           Vice President Sara Duterte (MB File Photo)

In an interview on Friday, May 2, Duterte claimed she barely thinks about the upcoming impeachment  trial against her because not only are her lawyers ready since October 2023 when news first floated that she would be impeached, but she has also "accepted" whatever the outcome would be.

"I told them (supporters) that you just leave the impeachment to me, and I am at peace, I am at peace  whatever the outcome of the impeachment trial will be whether it be acquitted, or guilty. I have already accepted that the two possibilities," she told reporters in Zamboanga City.

The Vice President reiterated it's up to her lawyers how to deal with the impeachment proceedings.

"I've not been thinking about that (impeachment). I leave it up to the lawyers to prepare for the 
impeachment. They've been preparing for it since the moment one of the members of the House of 
Representatives announced that there will  be  an  impeachment  and  that  was  October  2023.  So right now, I leave it up to the lawyers," she said.

Earlier, the official said that she met with her lawyers upon her arrival from TheHague last month to talk about the impeachment. She stressed that her lawyers are confident about their defense.

The Vice President denied that her going around the country to campaign for her father's, former 
president Rodrigo Duterte, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) senatorial  bets  is  about political  survival  since she would need as many Duterte allies in the Senate a possible when it's  time to vote for her acquittal or conviction.

"No. No as I said, in the stage earlier I will not talk about my impeachment because people might think 
that this is about my interest," she stressed.

Instead, her campaign now is "about politicians and the administration promising to the people that they will deliver genuine public service," she said, once more criticizing the deferment of the fulfillment of the 
2022 campaign promise of P20-per-kilo of rice. 

"So, this is about the hungry, the poor, and the oppressed," she claimed.

Confidential funds
Duterte also shrugged off the challenges posed by House leaders that she should answer questions about her usage of the controversial confidential funds instead of resorting to diversionary tactics and 
politicking.

"Naku, hindi po issue ang confidential funds dahil nag-file  na  sila  ng  impeachment.  So  huwag  nila  balik-balikan  ang  confidential  funds  dahil  para  sa  kanila  (the  confidential  funds  is  no  longer an  issue because  they already filed an impeachment. Let's not  go  back  to  the  confidential  funds  because for them) that is already a closed issue dahil nag-file  na  sila  ng  impeachment (because  they  already  filed  an  impeachment),"  she  explained.

The official, who was impeached by the House of Representatives in February,questioned instead the 
2026 national budget, as well as the transfer of funds from PhilHealth to the national treasury.

"So dapat sila ang sumagot at dapat ang administration ang sumagot (they should be the one to answer and the administration should answer)," she stressed.

Davao raid
Duterte also said she will not be surprised if reports about the police raiding her father's home in Davao 
City end up to be true.

While the Vice President admitted that she has no information yet on the said raid that was already denied by the Philippine National Police (PNP), she also accused the police of taking part in "partisan political activity."

"In fact, pagdating natin sa impeachment ipapakita namin lahat ng ginawa ng PNP sa akin (during the impeachment proceedings, we will show what the PNP has been doing to me). With pictures, with witnesses, with evidence na ginagamit ang Philippine National Police sa politika (that the Philippine National Police is being used for politics)," she said.

"So hindi ako magtataka kung mag-raid  sila,  magtanim  sila  ng  ebidensiya dahil  meron  tayong  'Arnie Teves' model na ginawa nila sa isang kalaban din nila sa politika, ni-raid,  tinaniman  (So,  I  will  not  be  shocked  if  they  will  raid, they  will  plant  evidence  because  we  have  an  'Arnie Tevez'  model  that they did to a political enemy, they raided, they planted [evidence])," she added.

Duterte was referring to dismissed Negros Oriental 3rd District Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr., who is 
currently hiding in Timor Leste amid  multiple  murder  charges  for  the  alleged  killing  of  Negros  Oriental governor Roel Degamo and others.

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