VICE PRESIDENT Sara Z. Duterte lashed out on Wednesday at prosecutors and lawmakers pushing two impeachment complaints against her, challenging critics to present concrete evidence rather than resorting to personal attacks and political posturing.
In an official statement released on Aug. 26, Duterte dismissed the impeachment complaints as baseless, accusing lawmakers and legal panels of attempt-based “fishing expeditions” aimed at manufacturing narratives of wrongdoing.
“Prove the impeachable offense. Prove it with evidence—not insults, speculation, or political theatrics,” Duterte stated.
“Prosecutors and members of Congress who want to legitimize the two impeachment complaints—filed without a shred of evidence—should be confident in the strength of the case. They should not be fishing for evidence during the trial or desperately try to turn something they wish to be true into a wild story.”
Addressing recent televised congressional hearings, the Vice President pointed to name-calling and ad hominem remarks by lawmakers and resource persons as proof of a weak legal presentation.
” A strong case does not need the adornment of theatrics. A senator calling a witness “stupid,” a lawyer calling me the “mastermind of a scam,” or another witness referring to me as a “brat” does not prove a case, nor does it produce evidence. Insults reveal the need to feign confidence in the face of a weak presentation.
Duterte further turned her criticism toward the administration and its allies, claiming that national focus is being misdirected toward political self-preservation while citizens grapple with economic hardship and widespread flooding.
Duterte argued that while the country struggles with severe flooding and poverty, accountability takes a back seat to political maneuvers, budget allocations for 2027, and efforts to alter constitutional term limits.
