Vice President Sara Duterte expressed uncertainty on Monday about her attendance at the Senate impeachment hearing, following the issuance of a summons for her appearance, as she is still determining whether her personal presence is required.
“Hindi ko pa alam kung kailangan ang personal appearance. Yon ang di ko alam dahil hindi ko nabasa yong summons,” she explained, stating that her summons are with her lawyers.
They are the ones, she said, who will decide on what to do with the summons.
She also commented on questions asking any of the senator-judges she endorsed in the last election to inhibit themselves from her impeachment trial because they cannot be compelled to do so.
“Hindi kasi tayo puwedeng magpa-inhibit ng mga senator-judges based on bias dahil ang posisyon lang naman ng isang tao is you are for or against Inday Sara, ‘no?” she said Monday in a press conference.
She asserted that if the basis is solely about “bias,” then there should also be a call for pro-administration, or senator-judges who oppose her, to refrain from participating.
But such is not the case, the vice president said.
“Tulad na lang ni Sen. Risa Hontiveros na in a public speech, sinabi niya na kailangan talaga na… ano bang term na ginamit? Kailangan burahin, o wasakin, ang pamilyang Duterte,” she said.
“Kung ganoon, madaming senators ang ipapa-inhibit for or against Sara Duterte,” she added.
VP Sara stated that she is trusting the senator-judges to perform their duties impartially.
On the Makati Business Club urging the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial to demonstrate accountability and enhance investor confidence, VP Sara stated without hesitation that investor confidence remains absent, regardless of whether an impeachment trial takes place.
She pointed out that the decline in direct foreign investment in the country is not hard to notice.
“Huwag nila akong gawin rason kung bakit pangit ang takbo ng ekonomiya,” she stressed, noting that in impeachment, only two penalties can be done: removal from office and perpetual disqualification from government service.
VP Sara said if they want accountability, they should file cases in court against her.
Many are aware, she claimed, that the signatures of the congressmen would not occur if they did not receive funds in return.
“So if we’re [going] to talk about accountability by business groups, dapat kwestyunin din natin kung paano ginawa ang articles of impeachment at kung paano ipinasa doon sa senado,” she said.
