Vice President Sara Duterte has stated that she is not considering resigning despite the House of Representatives voting to impeach her earlier this week.
“That’s still far off. It’s too early to think about things like that,” Duterte said during a press conference on Friday.
She noted that legal proceedings are still in their early stages and that her legal team is handling the matter. She also said she has no plans to attend the impeachment court proceedings, as it is not required.
“If it’s not necessary and I understand it’s not, then I won’t. My presence there might just intimidate everyone,” she said.
This marks the first time Duterte has addressed the media since the impeachment complaint was endorsed to the Senate. She read a prepared statement, briefly addressing the issue:
“In the past few days, many have asked for my reaction or feelings regarding the impeachment case against me. At this point, all I can say is: God save the Philippines.”
When asked how she feels about the impeachment process, Duterte responded lightly, saying, “Being left by a boyfriend or girlfriend hurts more than being impeached by the House of Representatives.”
Duterte also revealed that her team has been preparing for this scenario since November 2023, when ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro first announced plans for impeachment.
Regarding her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, she said that while he expressed interest in joining her legal team, she would advise against it due to his age.
“Maybe he wants to, but I might tell him not to lead the defense because of the rigorous preparations involved. He’s already 80 years old,” she said.
Duterte declined to comment on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s claim that he had no involvement in the impeachment efforts.
She also reiterated that she never made any threats against the President, refuting allegations that she conspired to assassinate him, First Lady Liza Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“I did not make an assassination threat. They are the ones saying that. They are the ones talking about an assassin, a gunman—I never said that,” she stated.
One of the seven articles of impeachment against Duterte includes accusations that she incited violence against Marcos and other officials. The allegations stem from a virtual press conference in November 2024, where she made remarks interpreted as an assassination order in response to the detention of her chief of staff, Atty. Zuleika Lopez.
The House of Representatives formally transmitted the impeachment complaint to the Senate on Wednesday, with 215 lawmakers supporting it. However, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero clarified that the impeachment court has yet to be convened, and the trial will begin when the Senate resumes session in June.
