Malacañang yesterday dismissed claims that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte is a political maneuver aimed at derailing her 2028 presidential bid.
This came after statements from Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and the Vice President herself, who called the move a “witch hunt.”
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro cautioned against premature judgments, especially from individuals who may serve as senator-judges in a possible impeachment trial.
“They’re calling the impeachment trial a witch hunt, when the trial hasn’t even started yet,” Castro said.“It’s like a judge declaring someone not guilty before any evidence has been presented,” she added.
Senator Zubiri earlier claimed that efforts to impeach Duterte were politically motivated and intended to remove her from public service ahead of the 2028 elections, where she remains a strong presidential contender based on current surveys.
Duterte, speaking from The Hague where she recently visited her detained father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, echoed Zubiri’s remarks and described the proceedings as part of a broader political plot.
When asked whether senators who have expressed bias should inhibit themselves from the trial, Castro said:“They shouldn’t inhibit themselves; they should just show the people how they act and move for the sake of the people.”
As this developed, House impeachment prosecutor and Iloilo Third District Rep. Lorenz Defensor said Zubiri’s “witch hunt” remark was “unbecoming of a senator-judge.”
Defensor said the statement could be interpreted as “telegraphing” a dismissal even before the trial begins and could influence public perception of the case.
He emphasized that senator-judges should wait for the presentation of evidence during the trial before forming conclusions on the merits of the complaint.
“It’s very unbecoming of a senator-judge in an impeachment trial to say that the impeachment complaint and the trial are a witch hunt. That shouldn’t come from a senator-judge, who is expected to receive the evidence with impartiality and treat the impeachment as a constitutional process. I hope it doesn’t happen again. We should limit what we say to the public, especially when it comes to prejudging the impeachment and the upcoming evidence during the trial,” Defensor said.
“It’s unavoidable that their statements will be interpreted as signaling an early dismissal before the trial even starts,” he added.
