VP Sara: I Won't Resign Amid Impeachment Trial, Cites Public Mandate

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte has declared that she will never resign from her post, asserting that doing so would be a betrayal to the 32.2 million Filipinos who voted for her. This statement comes amidst ongoing speculations about her potential resignation as an impeachment trial against her is underway in the Senate. "Oh, never gonna happen. I will never resign because it would be like a betrayal to the 32.2 million people who voted for me," Duterte said in a recent undated interview posted on the Padayon & Updates Facebook page. She further added, "If PBBM (President Bongbong Marcos) wants, he could try to do everything to remove me from office." The impeachment articles against Duterte center on four charges: alleged misuse of funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats. The Senate impeachment court has recently subpoenaed her bank, tax, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) records. Earlier, Duterte was in London to address a crowd of mostly overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) during the “Mahalin Natin ang Pilipinas: Pagtitipon para sa Kapayapaan at Kaunlaran” event. While in London, she lamented the proliferation of "crocodiles" in government, referring to those who prioritize self-interest. "What happened is that Filipinos only looked out only for their own interest. Those who occupied seats (in government) and gained power, they became selfish... And what happens is if you do not join them, then according to them you are wrong and you will be imprisoned. That is what is happening in our country today," she stated. Appealing to the OFWs, Duterte criticized the government's inability to provide for its citizens, making working abroad a necessity. "Why has it become normal for many Filipinos to dream of working abroad? This is wrong. Our own country should be able to provide them these opportunities. It should be that we do not have to leave the country, but we could leave only if we want to. We should not be forced to leave our families, our children and have broken families," she urged. Meanwhile, Duterte's younger brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte, reiterated his belief that the Vice President's impeachment trial is intended to prevent her from running for president in 2028. Recent Pulse Asia surveys indicate that one in two Filipinos would pick Duterte for president. However, a separate Social Weather Stations study revealed that 70 percent of Filipinos want her to answer the charges before the Senate impeachment court. "The priority of the administration right now is the impeachment of the Vice President," Mayor Duterte told Partido Demokratiko Pilipino members during the party’s national assembly on Saturday. "We all know that if they cannot remove the Vice President now, they cannot install their own president in the 2028 elections because she is a great threat to the presidency in 2028." The mayor also criticized the country's presidential system, arguing that political power is overly centralized in the Office of the President. He claimed the President has the power to intimidate political opponents, citing the case of Senator Rodante Marcoleta, whom he alleged was jailed after attempting to open a Senate Blue Ribbon committee inquiry on flood control anomalies. "What happened to him? Do we even have freedom at all in our country?" Mayor Duterte asked.