Stepping down from office is "not an option" for Vice President Sara Duterte despite the ongoing impeachment trial against her, according to her legal counsel, Atty. Michael Poa.
"Wala po ‘yung possibility na ’yan [resignation] dahil matagal na pong napag-uusapan ‘yan pero ni-minsan hindi po namin napag-usapan ‘yan yun point of resignation.," Poa said during an interview on DZRH's Damdaming Bayan.
According to Poa, Duterte had already made her position clear even before the impeachment proceedings began, saying she considers resignation a betrayal of the more than 32 million Filipinos who voted for her.
“Nabanggit na rin sa akin ng bise presidente noon pa man bago mag-impeachment ‘yung ganyang option to resign kasi para sa kanya hindi isang option dahil sa 32 million na bumoto sa kanya," he said.
Poa said the Vice President believes resigning would mean abandoning the mandate entrusted to her by the electorate.
He added that Duterte remains firm in her decision to stay in office, saying she believes those who supported her would question why she would resign while facing criticism and impeachment.
“Talagang very firm siya na, ano na lang ang iisipin ng mga bumoto sa kanya kung ganitong binabatikos siya ay bigla na lang siyang mag-reresign,” the lawyer added.
Duterte is facing her second impeachment case. Her first impeachment complaint, transmitted to the Senate in February last year, did not proceed after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that it violated the Constitution's prohibition against multiple impeachment proceedings within a one-year period.
The current complaint accuses Duterte of the alleged misuse of confidential funds during her tenure as vice president and education secretary, unexplained wealth, alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family in a viral video, and the alleged bribery of Department of Education (DepEd) officials.
Meanwhile, prosecutors earlier maintained that the impeachment trial would continue even if Duterte resigns from office.
The prosecution argued that a resignation would not extinguish accountability for the allegations against her, noting that the impeachment court's ruling would still determine whether she may be permanently disqualified from holding any future public office.
