Sara on trial: 'Bloodied but unbowed'

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte is ready to roll with the punches as the impeachment trial against her enters its third day at the Senate today. “In this bloodbath and bludgeoning, I will be bloodied but unbowed,” Duterte told media yesterday. Duterte arrived at the Senate at noon to meet with her 16-member defense team. She did not take questions upon the advice of her legal team to limit her statement. “Just one sentence, and then no questions,” said Duterte, who left the building before the impeachment proceedings began at 2 p.m. Duterte was accompanied by Michael Poa, spokesman for the defense, when she appeared before the media. She then proceeded to the defense holding room to meet with her legal team. Earlier in the day, Duterte visited Sen. Rodante Marcoleta at the Philippine National Police General Hospital at Camp Crame. While she was at the Senate premises, Duterte did not attend the resumption of her impeachment trial. During the press conference, Poa said the meeting between the Vice President and her lawyers was prearranged. “Yes, I can confirm that Vice President Sara Duterte will arrive in a few minutes, but she will only be here for a meeting with the defense team. We have discussed that we will meet today in the defense team’s holding room to discuss a few things,” Poa told reporters. He defended the decision of Duterte to hold the meeting at the Senate. “The Vice President has always been the type of person that will adjust to the convenience of the meeting and because the defense, as you know, is here, because we have a 2 p.m. hearing, our trial continues here, of course she has made it a point to meet here so that we won’t be inconvenienced. That’s really the character of the Vice President even when I first worked with her at Department Education,” Poa added. He did not discuss with Duterte if she watched the first day of the impeachment trial on Monday. “She was planning yesterday for the incoming super typhoon. She’s trying to prepare everything for the response of the Office of the Vice President and service provision. But of course, we were giving her updates throughout the day. I was talking to her last night. She trusted that we know what we are doing,” he said, adding that the defense team is in constant communication with Duterte, but she has to go on and do her job as Vice President. Poa stressed that Duterte is not avoiding the impeachment trial. “That’s why we, her lawyers, are here. We always say she will be there if necessary and that will be upon the advice of her counsels. We haven’t discussed anything yet,” Poa said. Meanwhile, the defense team repeatedly objected to the presentation of the House prosecution team as it tackled Article IV of the Articles of Impeachment. Carlo Joaquin Narvasa, a lawyer for Duterte, objected to the narrative approach of House prosecutor Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor. “This is instead them telling a story. This is a narration by the prosecution, which is not allowed. This is not allowed by any rule, in any court. What is proper is that they present their first witness,” Narvasa said. He also moved to exclude National Bureau of Investigation senior agent John Mark Calilung as a prosecution witness, arguing that Calilung was not listed as a witness in the Saballa complaint. Narvasa insisted that the more than two-hour video from the November 2024 online press conference of Duterte should be presented in full at the Senate.