VICE President Sara Duterte expressed confidence in her legal team’s ability to win her impeachment trial, currently underway. “I am most confident with the lawyers working on my impeachment case,” she stated during a visit to her relatives in Danao City, Cebu.
VP Duterte also addressed comments from lawmakers who alleged her endorsement of several Senate candidates was a “political move” aimed at influencing the impeachment trial, which is expected to resume after the midterm elections. She attributed her decision to endorse candidates to her father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who requested her to campaign for ten candidates on his behalf.
These candidates include Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, Jayvee Hinlo, Raul Lambino, Dante Marcoleta, and Vic Rodriguez; incumbent senators Bato Dela Rosa and Bong Go; actor Philip Salvador; Dr. Marites Mata; and Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. VP Duterte also endorsed Congresswoman Camille Villar and reelectionist Senator Imee Marcos, stating she did not seek her father’s permission for these endorsements. “I am friends with Senator Imee Marcos and (Senator) Camille Villar. We needed two more candidates to make it ten,” she explained.
VP Duterte clarified that she would not be participating in any campaign rallies for the senatorial candidates. “First and foremost, I am grateful to the people for their overwhelming support,” she said. “The #Duter10 and the other two candidates are not campaigning together.”
She encouraged the PDP (Partido Demokratiko Pilipino) to organize a rally for all 12 candidates, emphasizing the party’s 2022 platform of unity and continuity. “The current senators have said they understand the vision,” she stated. Due to scheduling conflicts, VP Duterte will not be attending initial PDP events but has sent a video message that can be played by the candidates.
In a separate development, VP Duterte reiterated that the arrest of her father was an “extraordinary rendition in the International Criminal Court.” Former President Duterte is currently detained at the ICC facility in The Hague, The Netherlands, facing charges of crimes against humanity following his arrest on March 11, 2025.
