Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte said on Tuesday, July 14, that the impeachment complaints lodged against her are not supported by evidence.
“Repeatedly claiming that there were threats when none existed, inventing an assassin where there was none, and fabricating evidence to support those claims does not transform fiction into fact. Instead, such actions undermine the integrity of public institutions, erode public trust, waste public resources, and corrupt the search for truth,” she said in a statement, her first public statement since the trial began.
Video recordings of her claiming she hired an assassin to kill the presidential family and hurling expletives at lawmakers were presented before the Impeachment Court on Monday, July 13.
National Bureau of Investigation regional director Jeremy Lotoc, a witness on Duterte’s alleged grave threats, admitted there was no validated evidence to prove she contracted someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez.
“An impeachment proceeding should be grounded in credible evidence, not speculation, manufactured narratives, or unsupported allegations. The rule of law depends on facts, not fiction,” she continued.
Meanwhile, defense spokesperson Michael Poa said Duterte may attend the fifth day of the impeachment trial.
Office of the Vice President chief of staff Zuleika Lopez, Duterte’s close friend, is expected to take the witness stand on July 14.
