Former Senator Leila de Lima speaks at the House of Representatives on October 22, 2024, during the Quad-Committee hearing on extrajudicial killings tied to former president Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA -- Former senator Leila de Lima on Sunday responded to Vice President Sara Duterte, who had expressed a desire to see a "bloodbath" in her upcoming impeachment trial.

De Lima, who is expected to get a congressional seat as first nominee of Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Partylist, said Duterte should consider her impending impeachment trial a "serious affair."

"D'yan naman sila magaling eh: braggadocio, mindless arrogance, toxic rhetoric, violence," said De Lima in a statement.

She pointed out that it is the Vice President who will be put into spotlight, not the prosecutors.

Sara Duterte says she wants 'bloodbath' in her impeachment trial

"In an impeachment trial, the only one who is on trial is the person impeached. So there can be no bloodbath. If any blood is spilled, it can only be that of the person impeached, not the prosecutors', not the senators-judges', not the administration's, not the people's," she said.

"We will make sure of that."

She also assured that the impeachment proceedings will be done in a fair, legal manner, devoid of drama.

"VP Sara is always welcome to witness how her trial will be a serious affair where her rights are respected and the proceedings fair, devoid of the drama and chaos that she is asking her defense team to orchestrate," said De Lima. 

"To stress, an impeachment trial is not a show of brute force but a sacrosanct constitutional process of accountability. No room for chaos, drama, and theatrics that Sara asked her defense team to orchestrate. Contempt ang naghihintay sa kanila if they even dare to."

LOOK: Official robe of senator-judges for impeachment trial of VP Sara Duterte 

De Lima, together with Akbayan's Chel Diokno have already confirmed they will be joining the House of Representatives’ 11-man prosecution team in the impeachment trial of Duterte.

Duterte earlier said she wants the impeachment proceedings to happen because she wants a "bloodbath."

"As lawyers, alam naman natin ang galawan ng mga abugado. Marami silang paraan sa batas as a legal recourse for their clients. Pero sinabihan ko na rin talaga sila, really, I truly want a trial because I want a bloodbath talaga," she said.

The vice president adds that she was not surprised at the addition of De Lima and Diokno to the prosecution team.

"Well, understandable kay Leila de Lima and Chel Diokno. They have been very vocal anti-Duterte since birth. In fact, wala pa sa mapa si Dating Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte to become president ay anti-Duterte na talaga si Sec. De Lima," she said.

In February, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte for "high crimes," including an alleged assassination plot against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.