The legal team of Vice President Sara Duterte has broken its silence on Monday, June 9, following numerous calls for the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Duterte’s team has reiterated that the complaint at the center of the issue has serious “constitutional infirmities.”
"However, we reiterate our firm position that the initiation of the impeachment process—particularly the Fourth Impeachment Complaint—suffers from serious constitutional infirmities," the defense team stated in their official statement.
The Fourth Impeachment Complaint, filed on February 5, 2025, was signed by 215 members of the House of Representatives.
The complaint accuses Duterte of multiple grave offenses including corruption particularly in DepEd confidential funds, public threats to assassinate President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., first lady Liza Araneta, and Speaker of the House Representives Martin Romualdez.
Moreover, the Vice President also accussed involvement in extrajudicial killings, and incitement to insurrection and public disorder.
While the legal team declined to comment on internal Senate matters, they underscored that the complaint not only lacks constitutional grounding but also threatens to turn impeachment into a political weapon.
"The impeachment process must never be weaponized to harass, silence, or eliminate political opponents. It is a constitutional mechanism, not a political tool," they added.
Despite their objections to the validity of the complaint, Duterte’s legal team assured the public that they are "ready to confront the charges" if the Senate decides to move forward.
