Photo credit: Inday Sara Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte said the personal opinion of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has no bearing on her impeachment trial, stressing that the proceedings should be decided solely based on the Constitution, due process, and the rule of law.

In a statement released Monday, the opening day of her impeachment trial before the Senate sitting as an impeachment court, Duterte said the case should be resolved through legal processes rather than political opinion. She emphasized that every respondent in an impeachment proceeding has the right to be represented by counsel and that the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights.

Duterte also defended her decision to let her legal team represent her instead of appearing personally before the impeachment court. She maintained that the burden of proof rests with the prosecution and said appearing through counsel does not diminish accountability or suggest a lack of transparency. According to the Vice President, the integrity of an impeachment trial depends on adherence to the rule of law, not on whether the respondent personally takes the witness stand.

She also called on public officials to refrain from expressing personal opinions on matters of public concern, saying they should instead rely on the law, established policies, scientific evidence, and objective facts.

The statement came hours after the Senate formally convened as an impeachment court, marking the start of Duterte's impeachment trial. The Vice President did not personally attend the opening session and was instead represented by her defense lawyers, who said her appearance through counsel is consistent with her constitutional rights.

Earlier in the day, Malacañang said President Marcos would not closely monitor the trial, saying he remains focused on governance and would leave the proceedings to the Senate as an independent constitutional body.

The House prosecution panel, meanwhile, said the impeachment case is about presenting evidence and ensuring accountability, adding that the Senate impeachment court is the proper venue to determine the allegations against the Vice President through due process.

Duterte is facing impeachment charges that include allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, unexplained wealth, and the alleged misuse of more than ₱612 million in confidential funds. She has repeatedly denied the allegations, insisting that the impeachment case is politically motivated.

The impeachment trial is expected to run for several months. Under the Constitution, at least two-thirds of all senators must vote to convict before the Vice President can be removed from office and permanently disqualified from holding public office.