Two days after she was impeached by the House of Representatives, Vice President Sara Duterte finally broke her silence on the issue in what was supposed to be just a brief “address to the nation.”
Her media relations staff repeatedly reminded reporters gathered at the OVP headquarters in Mandaluyong that she would not take any questions.
A fully made-up Duterte smiled from ear to ear when she walked into the venue, looking as if she were about to share good news — the opposite of her current predicament. She punctuated each sentence with a smile, except when she responded to her impeachment by the House of Representatives on February 5: “Ang tanging masasabi ko na lamang sa puntong ito ay (The only thing I can say at this point is) — God save the Philippines.”
To her supporters, she said, “Manalig kayo dahil nasa taumbayan ang tagumpay (Have faith because victory lies with the people.)”
Duterte seemed in no hurry to leave, so reporters, naturally, jumped at the chance to ask questions, and she agreed. The three questions with no follow-up turned into a nearly 20-minute press conference where the Vice President appeared calm and unfazed by her impeachment, completely different from the Sara Duterte who cursed, ranted, and made threats in a midnight virtual press conference back in November.
At the end of the presser, the Vice President even injected what she thought about her impeachment in response to a request for her Valentine’s Day message. “Alam ‘nyo, mas masakit pa ang maiwan ng boyfriend o girlfriend kaysa ma-impeach ka sa House of Representatives.“
(You know, it’s more painful to be left by your boyfriend or girlfriend than to be impeached by the House of Representatives.)
In her first public appearance after the House move, Duterte appeared, or projected herself to be, unaffected by the impeachment. She was friendly with the media, and responded to most questions except for a few, including what she thought about the statement of her erstwhile ally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., that the Marcos government had nothing to do with her impeachment.
Perhaps it’s part of her strategy to reassure supporters that they’ve got this, or a way to show her political enemies that she’s not rattled by her impeachment.
She declined to provide details about their strategy in the event the Senate starts its trial, or comment on lawmakers’ efforts to fast-track her potential removal from office. But she did say that they started preparing for it as early as November 2023, when ACT Teachers Representative France Castro said there were talks about this in the House.
Free to give advice
Responding to questions, the Vice President said she has yet to speak to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, about her impeachment, though she sent a message to him through his assistant, assuring him, “Everything will be alright.” In response, the former president sent her a video of himself singing MacArthur’s Park.
Asked about her earlier statement that her father would join her legal team in the impeachment case, she said that he was “free to give advice” and input to her defense team. She said she had told him that it would be better for him not to be the lead counsel, considering his age. The older Duterte is turning 80 in late March.
The Vice President’s impeachment is based on allegations of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes, following a resolution fast-tracked by 215 lawmakers. This number has risen to 240 as of Friday.
The ball is now with the Senate, which will serve as the impeachment trial court. Senate President Chiz Escudero has said that the trial will not take place until the session resumes in June.
A number of critics argued that the Senate could begin the trial even while on break, as the trial is distinct from its usual legislative proceedings. They emphasized that senators would serve as jurors, not lawmakers.
Asked if she’s confident about securing an acquittal in the Senate, Duterte replied, “I haven’t counted the possible votes in the Senate. We’re not there yet. Our legal team is still in the preparation of the defense and what we will do moving forward.”
The timing of Duterte’s impeachment is tricky, as it came on Congress’ last day of session before its three-month break for the 2025 midterm elections. With seven senators up for reelection and focusing on their own campaigns, the big question now is whether her impeachment case will move forward. – Rappler.com