Sara Duterte on House impeachment: 'God save the Philippines'
"God save the Philippines."
This was Vice President Sara Duterte's comment about the House of Representatives impeaching her on Feb. 5 after months of groups filing impeachment cases against her.
"Sa kabila ng aking mga naging pahayag ukol sa planong impeachment noong mga nakaraan na buwan, ang tangi ko na lamang masasabi sa puntong ito ay, 'God save the Philippines,'" Duterte said in a press conference livestreamed on Facebook on Feb. 7.
She added that she's "okay" despite the news and will meet with her lawyers to determine the next steps as she hasn't read the verified complaint for impeachment yet.
During the press conference, the vice president asked media members to ask only one question each with no follow-up. Yet as reporters complied, she avoided most of the questions, saying, "I do not want to answer that question."
She stopped reporters who tried to ask another question and catered to others.
These included a comment on President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. saying he had "no role" in the impeachment even as his son Senior Deputy Majority Leader Sandro Marcos led the impeachment votes, whether her father Rodrigo Duterte would be her lawyer, and if she sees the situation being akin to George Orwell's dystopian novel 1984.
Nevertheless, Duterte seemingly showed reporters that she's unbothered, smiling throughout the session and even cracking a few jokes. She also said that it "hurts more" to be broken up with than to be impeached by the House.
Duterte said she would not attend the impeachment trial if allowed.
"Kung pwede namang hindi, and I understand pwede naman, hindi na. Kasi baka ma-intimidate lang lahat sila sa presence ko doon," she said.
She also refused to entertain questions about resigning ahead of the impeachment trial and running for the 2028 elections, though she reiterated her past statement that she's "seriously considering" the latter.
"Wala pa tayo doon. Masyado pang malayo 'yung mga ganyang mga bagay," she said about her supposed resignation.
A successful conviction in an impeachment trial would permanently disqualify anyone from holding public office in the future. If Duterte would resign ahead of a possible conviction, she may still run.
Duterte also denied making an assassination threat against Marcos despite a video recording showing otherwise.
"Sila lang ang may sabi niyan," she said, without explicitly referring to anyone.
In a November 2024 Zoom press conference, she repeatedly cursed Marcos and his kin and recalled contracting someone to take them out if she were killed.
"May kinausap na ako na tao. Sinabi ko sa kanya, 'Pag pinatay ako, patayin mo si BBM, si Liza Araneta, at si Martin Romualdez. No joke. No joke,'" she said of the president, his wife, and his House Speaker cousin. "Nagbilin na ako, Ma’am. 'Pag namatay ako, 'wag ka tumigil hanggang hindi mo mapapatay sila.' And then he said yes."
In the Feb. 7 press conference, Duterte also took a swipe at lawmakers who are supposedly defending why they voted to impeach her.
A total of 215 lawmakers voted to impeach her but none of them explained their decision to date.
As for the Senate taking a recess until June 2, she said their decision must be respected. As for senators who would vote against her impeachment, she said she hasn't talked to her "friends in the Senate" yet.
She also advised her followers to not take it to the streets and instead use social media to throw their support for her.
"Tayo naman ang social media capital ng mundo," she claimed.
Duterte also claimed that the country's situation has hit rock bottom.
"Napag-iwanan na tayo ng panahon at ng ating mga kapitbahay," she said.
Duterte's impeachment case has gone up to the Senate for trial. In the 24-seat Senate, it needs at least 16 or a two-thirds vote to remove her from office.
