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

Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s opinion on her impeachment trial is "of no importance," stressing that the proceedings should be governed by the Constitution and due process. She asserted that the decision on her personal testimony is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights. In a statement, Duterte said, “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.” 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 emphasized that 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. Furthermore, Duterte pointed out that public officials should rely on the law, established policies, scientific evidence, and objective facts when addressing matters of public concern, rather than personal views. Earlier in the day, defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa had stated that the Vice President’s physical attendance at her impeachment trial would depend on how the proceedings unfold. Interviewed on GMA's "Unang Balita" hours before the trial's start, Poa declined to elaborate on the Vice President's personal appearance, saying, "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." Impeachment proceedings in the Philippines are a political accountability mechanism for high-ranking officials such as the President and Vice President, as stipulated in the Constitution. While impeachment attempts have surfaced amidst heightened political tensions in the past, the process is strictly governed by legal requirements and due process.