Inday: I’ll never resign

Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday vowed not to resign as her impeachment trial continues.

“I will not resign, I will never resign from the Office of the Vice President,” Duterte told reporters on the sidelines of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo at the Manila Hotel.

“In a way, I see the impeachment trial as a blessing because it will allow the people to examine and scrutinize the questions they have about my character,” she said.

Duterte, who has declared her intention to run for president in 2028, also questioned how presidential preference surveys were conducted, as she thanked her supporters who have remained loyal despite the accusations against her.

“I am grateful that even though I am attacked every day, my name is tarnished and all sorts of accusations are thrown at us, the people continue to believe in, trust, and support us,” she said.

She predicted that the attacks against her would continue if the 2028 national elections pushed through, alleging that her opponents would resort to electoral fraud and what she called black propaganda.

“If the 2028 national elections proceed, expect cheating and expect the black propaganda to continue,” Duterte said.

Separately, Duterte denied owning a lot that the NBI linked to her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), accusing the bureau of misleading the public.

“The lot in the photograph that he (NBI director Melvin Matibag) said was included in my SALN is not mine,” she said in a statement.

She questioned the use of public funds for the NBI’s operations, arguing that the agency was pursuing activities with no clear benefit to the public.

Duterte also linked the investigation to the NBI’s exclusion from the prosecution’s witness list in her impeachment trial, saying the bureau had presented questionable evidence similar to the allegations made by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.

“This kind of deception of the public is the reason the NBI was removed from the list of witnesses the prosecution will present in the impeachment proceedings,” she said.

“When an agency is funded by public money, it is only right to ensure that every action it takes is lawful, based on the truth, and serves the interest of the people,” she added.

On Monday, Matibag said the NBI was investigating 121 properties linked to Duterte and her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte. Matibag said 24 of the properties were declared in the Vice President’s SALN.

The investigation stemmed from Gracioso’s allegation that he delivered suitcases of cash to members of the Duterte family on the instructions of former House speaker Lord Allan Velasco. Gracioso claimed the deliveries involved billions of pesos.

Matibag said the NBI was examining whether proceeds from the alleged deliveries had been invested in properties. The bureau said it would refer its initial findings to the Office of the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.

The allegations remain subject to investigation.