President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. stated that Vice President Sara Duterte and her defense lawyers must ultimately decide if she will attend her Senate impeachment trial, though he noted he would personally choose to face the court if he were in her position.
Reflecting on his past experience as a senator-judge during the 2012 impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, Marcos explained during a press briefing in Canada that the choice is a tactical one for the defense team.
“It’s really up to the accused whether or not they feel the need to appear.”
“I guess the lawyers on the defense side will give their advice. It’s not for me to say one way or the other,” he added.
However, the President suggested that direct testimony from the respondent could streamline the entire trial compared to relying purely on legal representatives.
“But of course, it would be much easier to get to the bottom of everything if you could speak to the accused directly. And the accused can answer directly, not through secondary channels, not through the lawyers.”
“Kung diretso makasagot, siyempre magiging maliwanag ang proseso, madali ang proseso,” he added.
Marcos clarified that these observations are merely his own perspective rather than official policy or legal counsel. He admitted that, if faced with similar allegations, he would likely disregard a lawyer’s caution and testify directly.
“But if I’m just trying to put myself in that position, I would probably, myself, if it were me, being accused, I would almost insist over the advice of lawyers, if they advise me not to appear, I would insist on appearing.”
“’Kasi kaya ko naman sagutin, sige, sagutin natin,” he added.
The trial follows the House of Representatives forwarding Articles of Impeachment to the Senate, stemming from allegations against Duterte regarding bribery, grave threats, unexplained wealth, and the misappropriation of confidential and intelligence funds—all of which the Vice President denies. Her legal counsel has yet to announce whether she will appear in person.
Marcos reiterated that the Executive branch respects the separation of powers and will not interfere with the constitutional impeachment process.