Vice President Sara Duterte said the alleged assassination threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez is a form of “freedom of expression,” as her impeachment case moves closer to trial.

Duterte’s remarks come as she formally challenged the validity of the Articles of Impeachment filed against her, arguing that the process was flawed and unconstitutional.

In her response to the impeachment court, Duterte, through counsel, said the proceedings before the House Committee on Justice were “tainted with manifest partiality and evident bad faith indicative of prejudgment.”

The filing cited statements from committee members claiming they already had enough “evidence” or “votes” to impeach her even before hearings concluded, calling the finding of probable cause a “foregone conclusion.”

Her legal team also argued that the House of Representatives committed an “unconstitutional usurpation of power,” criticizing what it described as a “mini-trial” meant to gather evidence and damage her reputation in public.

“The Articles are the product of an unconstitutional usurpation of power that neither belongs to the House of Representatives nor its Committee on Justice,” the response read, adding that the process was used to “systematically impugn her reputation.”

In a sworn verification, Duterte affirmed that she reviewed and understood the contents of her submission and that the allegations were based on personal knowledge and official records.

She also said the filing was not intended to delay proceedings and that the claims have evidentiary support or will be supported during the trial.

Meanwhile, the Senate concluded five pre-trial sessions for the impeachment case on Thursday, June 25.

Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. said the pre-trial order would serve as a roadmap for the impeachment trial, outlining how proceedings will be conducted based on the positions of both parties.

Trial dates have been set to begin July 6, with hearings scheduled from Monday to Wednesday, starting at 2 p.m., ahead of the President’s State of the Nation Address on July 27.

The impeachment court has yet to rule on Duterte’s motion questioning the validity of the Articles.