Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday challenged prosecutors and members of Congress to prove the alleged impeachable offenses against her “with evidence—not insults, speculation, or political theatrics.”
In a statement released on August 26, Duterte said prosecutors and members of Congress seeking to legitimize the two impeachment complaints against her should be confident in the strength of their case and present evidence during the ongoing impeachment trial.
“Prosecutors and members of Congress who want to legitimize the two impeachment complaints—filed without a shred of evidence—should be confident in the strength of the case,“ Duterte said.
“They should not be fishing for evidence during the trial or desperately try to turn something they wish to be true into a wild story of alleged wrongdoing,” he added.
She also criticized remarks made during the proceedings, saying descriptions such as calling her the “mastermind of a scam” or a “brat” do not establish wrongdoing.
“A strong case does not need the adornment of theatrics. A Senator calling a witness ‘stupid,’ a lawyer calling me the ‘mastermind of a scam’ or another witness referring to me as a ‘brat,’ does not prove a case, nor does it produce evidence,” she said.
“Insults reveal the need to feign confidence in the face of a weak presentation,” Duterte added.
The vice president also accused the administration and its allies of prioritizing her impeachment over pressing national concerns, including flooding and poverty.
“Mga kababayan, lubog na ang bansa sa baha at kahirapan, pero tila walang mananagot, dahil ang impeachment, ang paghahati-hatian ng 2027 budget, at ang paghahanda kung paano babaguhin ang Constitution para manatili sa puwesto ang prayoridad ng administrasyon at lahat ng kaalyado nito,” she said.
