Pahayagan

STATEMENT OF VP SARA ON THE IMPEACHMENT PROCEEDING
(July 6, 2026)

The opinion of a President in an impeachment proceeding is of no importance.

Impeachment proceedings must be guided by the Constitution and due process. The respondent has the right to be represented by counsel, and the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights.

The burden remains on the prosecution to prove its case. Choosing to appear through counsel rather than testify personally does not diminish accountability or imply a lack of transparency. The integrity of an impeachment trial depends on adherence to the rule of law-not on whether the respondent personally takes the stand.

At all times, public officials are best served by keeping their personal opinions to themselves and relying instead on the law, established policies, scientific evidence, and objective facts when addressing matters of public concern.

SARA Z. DUTERTE
Vice President of the Philippines