With nearly a month to go before the start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, she assured the public that her legal team is “more than confident” they will win the case.
“After returning from The Hague, I met with my legal team to discuss the case. They told me they are more than confident about winning the impeachment trial,” Duterte said during an ambush interview in Cebu on Tuesday. “I am confident in the lawyers handling my case. That’s all I can say.”
Her remarks came in response to statements from lawmakers, including La Union 1st District Rep. Paolo Ortega V, who claimed her endorsements of Senator Imee Marcos and Camille Villar were political moves aimed at gaining Senate support ahead of the trial.
Duterte denied these claims, saying her involvement in the midterm elections was prompted by the arrest of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, in The Hague. She called the incident an “extraordinary rendition” and said her endorsements were also in fulfillment of her father’s request to support the “Duter10”—the ten senatorial candidates he backs.
House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs Chair Jude Acidre on Tuesday meanwhile criticized the Vice President’s confidence in being acquitted in her upcoming Senate impeachment trial, calling it “misplaced” given her failure to clearly explain the rapid spending of hundreds of millions in confidential funds.
Acidre, a House Assistant Majority Leader, said Duterte’s public remarks exude “arrogance of certainty” while evading the central issue—accountability for public funds. “You can’t claim vindication when you haven’t offered a full and truthful accounting of how taxpayer money was spent,” he said.
He added that Duterte’s repeated invocation of national security as justification for secrecy only increases public suspicion. “Transparency is the proper response when questioned. Vague justifications only weaken public trust.”
Acidre also slammed Duterte for allegedly downplaying the seriousness of the charges, saying the impeachment trial is not political theater but a constitutional process founded on evidence and accountability.
He emphasized that the House’s impeachment complaint followed extensive hearings and testimonies pointing to irregularities in fund disbursement. “This didn’t come out of nowhere. It was built on facts. This is not about regional identity or gender. It’s about the responsibility of an official entrusted with sensitive funds, and the lack of a clear explanation of how those funds were used.”
Acidre concluded by urging Duterte to treat the trial as a chance to present a full defense rather than deflect criticism. “The public needs courage not just in words, but in telling the truth.”