Sara welcomes trial, focuses on clearing her name

Vice President Sara Duterte said she sees the upcoming impeachment trial as an opportunity to clear her name of the allegations raised against her.

Duterte made the statement in response to the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, which showed that 88 percent of respondents support the Vice President facing trial to respond to the accusations.

“I totally agree. I’m part of that 88 percent who believe in it, and I’m thankful for the opportunity to clear my name and answer the accusations against me,” Duterte said in Filipino during an ambush interview following her visit to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, at The Hague.

Earlier, the Senate moved the presentation of the articles of impeachment from 2 June to 11 June.

Asked for her reaction to the postponement, Duterte said the delay has no personal impact on her.

“It doesn’t affect me. I’m just thinking about what effect, if any, the delay might have on the case,” she said in Filipino.

“But we’ll leave that to our impeachment defense lawyers to assess what possible implications the delay might have,” the Vice President added.

On 5 February 2025, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Duterte, with over 200 lawmakers endorsing the complaint.

She is accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes — primarily over the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.

Meanwhile, Duterte said she is not currently interested in discussing reconciliation with President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., stressing that national issues are her priority.

“First of all, I don’t think it’s the right time to talk about reconciliation. Personal problems are not as important as the issues our people and our country are facing,” she said in Filipino.

Marcos earlier expressed openness to reconciling with the Dutertes, saying he wants stability in his administration. However, the President emphasized that any reconciliation must come without preconditions, following demands from supporters of the former president to bring him back to the Philippines.