Vice President Sara Duterte stated on Wednesday, August 19, that her physical attendance at the Senate impeachment proceedings is unneeded, as her defense lawyers are handling her complete legal representation.
During an ambush interview in Zamboanga City, Duterte rejected claims that her presence in court would help accelerate the impeachment trial.
“Hindi po totoo yun kasi fully represented ako noong ating defense team at sufficient yan na meron kang mga abogado doon na nagpa-participate doon sa process, yun ay para na rin pagdalo ng respondent sa impeachment,” Duterte said.
The Vice President clarified that attending in person provides no practical advantage since she is not personally directing her legal defense during the trial.
“Dahil hindi naman ako abogado para sa impeachment doon so wala akong matutulong doon sa proseso ng pag-present ng witness, cross-examine ng witness, lahat yun ay trabaho,” she explained.
Reiterating full confidence in her defense counsel to manage key legal procedures—including cross-examinations and presenting evidence—Duterte affirmed that the active involvement of her attorneys fulfills her obligation as the respondent.
“At yan yung participation at appearance ko doon,” she added.
While noting that her physical presence would not speed up the timeline, Duterte stressed her desire for a swift resolution to the proceedings to prevent public confusion regarding the allegations.
“Meron po kami spokesperson sa impeachment at binibigay ko po ang buong tiwala ko sa aming defense team at gusto lang sana namin ay mapabilis yung proseso dahil hindi pwedeng tumatagal yung proseso natin,” she said.
“Nag-iisip yung mga tao, ano ba totoo ba na may ginawang masama, hindi ba totoo yung mga akusasyon,” she said, pointing to constitutional rights for prompt proceedings. “So dapat mabilis yung proseso kasi sa ating Constitution nandiyan yung speedy administration.”