VICE President Sara Duterte said she will not personally attend the opening of her impeachment trial, maintaining that her legal counsel will represent her before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court.
In a statement issued Monday, July 6, 2026, Duterte stressed that an impeachment proceeding must be governed by the Constitution and due process, adding that a respondent has the constitutional right to be represented by counsel.
“The opinion of a President in an impeachment proceeding is of no importance. Impeachment proceedings must be guided by the Constitution and due process. The respondent has the right to be represented by counsel, and the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights,” she said.
Duterte underscored that respondents in impeachment cases are not required to personally testify, noting that the burden of proving the allegations rests with the prosecution.
She maintained that appearing through legal counsel does not lessen accountability nor should it be interpreted as a lack of transparency.
“The integrity of an impeachment trial depends on adherence to the rule of law -- not on whether the respondent personally takes the stand,” said Duterte.
Duterte also urged public officials to refrain from injecting personal opinions into matters related to the impeachment proceedings.
Instead, she said discussions on issues of public concern should be guided by the law, established government policies, scientific evidence, and objective facts.
The Senate is set to convene as an impeachment court to begin proceedings on the case filed against her.
The Senate impeachment court earlier directed Duterte to appear in her trial.
On May 11, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte over alleged betrayal of public trust, culpable violations of the Constitution and misuse of public funds in connection with alleged irregularities involving confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education during her time as department secretary.
Also cited in the article of impeachment submitted by the lower chamber to the Senate were the threats Duterte made against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
In the opening of the trial, members of the defense and the prosecution teams will formally enter their appearances before delivering their opening statements. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)