By Ivy Tejano
DAVAO CITY – Vice President Sara Duterte maintained that the impeachment complaint against her lacks evidence, following days of Senate impeachment trial.
In a statement, Duterte said the latest developments in the trial support her long-standing position that the allegations against her lack factual basis.
“On Day 4 of the impeachment trial, the country witnessed what I have been saying all along that the complaint is not supported by evidence,” Duterte said.
The Vice President accused the prosecution of repeatedly claiming there were threats when none existed, “inventing an assassin,” and fabricating evidence to support its claims.
“An impeachment proceeding should be grounded in credible evidence, not speculation, manufactured narratives, or unsupported allegations,” she said.
Duterte emphasized that the rule of law depends on facts, not fiction.
In a separate press briefing last Wednesday, the fifth day of the trial, Duterte’s legal counsel said the defense remains focused on due process as the proceedings continue.
Lawyer Michael Wesley Poa declined to comment on the merits of Duterte’s statement, saying it is up to the Senate to determine whether it falls under the sub judice rule.
“The vice president has stated what she felt. Whether it’s covered by sub judice or not, that’s for the impeachment court to decide,” Poa told reporters.
Poa also supported the defense panel’s request to keep legal arguments brief, saying that lengthy statements that include legal and factual conclusions could influence public opinion before all the evidence is presented.
He said the defense is respecting the prosecution’s prerogative to withdraw witnesses and is now shifting its attention to preparations for the presentation of evidence on Article 1 of the impeachment complaint.
Asked about former National Bureau of Investigation Director Jimmy Santiago’s statement that Duterte had the financial capacity to hire an assassin, Poa dismissed it as an opinion.
“That’s his opinion, but that has to be proven in this impeachment proceeding,” Poa said.
Poa likewise emphasized that the defense’s objections to certain subpoenas are based on due process, arguing that subpoenas must clearly identify the evidence sought and establish its relevance to the case.
“If we simply disregard our laws whenever a subpoena is issued, then due process is lost because the respondent has protections under the law,” he said.
The defense counsel added that due process must be observed at every stage of the impeachment process, from the filing of the complaint in the House of Representatives to the Senate trial.
Poa said it is still too early to discuss possible legal remedies or changes in the defense’s witness list, noting that all decisions will be made in consultation with the vice president as the trial progresses.
The prosecution panel had withdawn eight witnesses during Article IV of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag is the final witness for Article IV.
