Vice President Sara Duterte said she is already preparing for possible impeachment attempts that could continue until the end of her term in 2028, despite the Supreme Court’s decision upholding its earlier ruling that spared her from removal.
Duterte revealed that she and her lawyers began working on legal defenses as soon as impeachment efforts surfaced in late 2023.
“Hindi lang ngayong taon na ito. Dahil sigurado kapag hindi sila nakapag-file ngayong taon, susunod na taon at hanggang matapos ang aking termino, ay ganoon ang gagawin nila. Magfa-file sila ng kaso, impeachment man o hindi,” she told reporters in The Hague.
She expressed gratitude to her legal team for questioning what she described as the misuse of the impeachment process.
“Pasasalamat ko ay sa mga abogado na nagtulong-tulong para kwestyunin ‘yung pag-abuso ng proseso ng impeachment ng House,” she said.
The remarks came after the high court rejected the House’s appeal to revive the case it had earlier ruled unconstitutional. Duterte added she avoided discussing the ruling with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, during her visit to his detention cell at the International Criminal Court.
“Kanina, hindi ko na binanggit sa kanya ‘yung denial ng motion for reconsideration doon sa kaso dahil ayaw ko na pag-usapan ‘yung impeachment,” she said.
“Mas mabuting pag-usapan ang mga bagay na mas may relevance sa buhay natin at sa bayan kaysa doon sa impeachment.”
Despite the dismissal, lawmakers may still file a new impeachment complaint against her after February 6, in line with the Constitution’s one-year ban on multiple filings against impeachable officials.