Vice President Sara Duterte announced on Wednesday, June 10, that she has handed over all preparations for her upcoming Senate impeachment trial to her legal team, emphasizing that she will strictly follow their strategic advice.
Speaking to reporters in General Santos City, Duterte explained that although she is a lawyer herself, she has decided not to micromanage her own defense, choosing instead to step back and act purely as a client.
She also revealed that she instructed her counsel to maintain a small, streamlined team for more efficient communication.
“Ang preparation at paghahanda ng impeachment trial ay iniwan ko na sa mga abogado at sinabihan ko na rin sila na susunod na lang ako sa mga desisyon ng mga abogado,” she said.
“Kasi ako bilang abogado meron din akong mga iniisip, meron din akong mga gustong gawin,” she said. “Pero sa aking estado na ngayon ako ay client klinaro ko ‘yung sa mga abogado na gawin nating maliit lang ‘yung team para madaling makapag-usap,” she added.
Duterte reiterated her full trust in her lawyers’ capabilities, opting not to disclose specific details regarding their defense timeline or approach.
“Kung ano sa tingin nila pinakatama at pinakamabisa at pinakamagaling na paraan ng kanilang defense ay susunod lang ako bilang kliyente nila,” she said.
The Senate impeachment court has set the pre-trial conference for June 18, officially signaling the start of the formal trial proceedings. On June 1, Duterte’s legal team filed an Answer formally contesting the constitutionality and validity of the impeachment complaint.
Her defense team noted that the case carries “significant constitutional, procedural, and substantive issues” involving both the Articles of Impeachment and the initial House proceedings.
They argued that these grievances should be settled strictly within the Senate tribunal rather than through public discourse.
“We trust that the Senate will discharge its constitutional duty with fairness, independence, and fidelity to the rule of law,” her legal team said.
Duterte is actively seeking the dismissal of the impeachment case, asserting in an executive summary that the allegations are “constitutionally infirm, procedurally defective, and substantively deficient.”