Jamaine Punzalan

Vice President Sara Duterte arrives at the Senate on the second day of the impeachment trial on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

VP Sara Impeachment

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178400607523020260707-senate-impeachment-sara-diuterte-MT4.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte arrives at the Senate on the second day of the impeachment trial on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (UPDATE) — The impeachment case against “is not supported by evidence,” Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday, hours before her possible arrival in the Senate to “provide support to her employees” who are slated to appear before the court.</p><p>The Senate impeachment court on Monday tackled the alleged grave threats Duterte committed over her controversial remarks that she had allegedly hired someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez should she be assassinated. </p><p>“On Day 4 of the impeachment trial, the country witnessed what I have been saying all along: the complaint is not supported by evidence,” Duterte said in a statement. </p><p>“Repeatedly claiming that there were threats when none existed, inventing an assassin where there was none, and fabricating evidence to support those claims does not transform fiction into fact. </p><p>“Instead, such actions undermine the integrity of public institutions, erode public trust, waste public resources, and corrupt the search for truth,” she said shortly before the fifth day of the trial began. </p><p>Duterte added that impeachment proceedings “should be grounded in credible evidence, not speculation, manufactured narratives, or unsupported allegations.” </p><p>“The rule of law depends on facts, not fiction,” she said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SENATE VISIT  </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, Duterte’s defense team said she would try to go to the Senate if her schedule permits as her <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/zuleika-lopez-set-to-take-witness-stand-at-senate-trial-1338">chief of staff Zuleika Lopez is expected to take the witness stand on Tuesday.  </a></p><p>“Basically, tinanong ko siya kung makakapunta siya today. Ang sabi lang niya sa akin, ‘Unsure because I have meetings but tingnan natin kung makahabol,’” Defense spokesperson Michael Poa told reporters.</p><p>“We don&#x27;t have scheduled meetings so it will probably be because she wants to of course provide support to her employees which she always does naman, not just with her chief of staff but with everyone else,” he said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/14/defense-poised-to-pound-sloppy-nbi-probe-at-impeachment-trial-day-5-0921">Defense poised to pound &#x27;sloppy&#x27; NBI probe at impeachment trial day 5 </a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F2789533674761194%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>Lopez was present during a November 2024 press conference where Duterte allegedly made the threat against Marcos.</p><p>Around the time of the online press conference, Lopez was held in contempt by the House of Representatives, which was investigating the confidential funds of Duterte’s office and the Department of Education, which she had headed. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/8/duterte-defense-team-presents-clips-of-emotional-zuleika-lopez-from-november-2024-video-1603">Duterte defense team presents clips of emotional Zuleika Lopez from November 2024 video </a></div><p>A House panel later ordered Lopez’s transfer to the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong City, which she tearfully criticized during the online press conference with Duterte. </p><p>Lopez is expected to take the witness stand after the defense cross examination of National Bureau of Investigation&#x27;s Jeremy Lotoc. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/10/prosecutors-undaunted-if-vp-sara-shows-up-in-impeach-trial-spokesman-0853">Prosecutors undaunted if VP Sara shows up in impeach trial - spokesman </a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iVlGJrfvFXM?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong>‘JUST WAIT FOR OUR TURN’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Poa confirmed that the defense included evidence in its reserved list to prove that Duterte denied grave threats she issued against Marcos. </p><p>“I will not answer that because that will go into the merits of the case. We cannot because again, we do not telegraph what we do. We will be doing again an injustice to our client if we start telegraphing our moves kasi syempre, ma-anticipate na ng kabila… but definitely, the evidence is there and just wait for our turn to present our evidence,” the defense spokesperson said.</p><p>Poa’s comment comes a day after defense lawyer Mark Vinluan affirmed before the court that their panel <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/13/duterte-defense-team-to-present-witness-to-prove-operation-romanov-exists-1458">could present its own witness in due time.</a></p><p>Poa declined to comment on the prosecution’s criticisms against Vinliuan’s cross examination, saying that it would not be “appropriate.”</p><p>“We do not engage in such discourse,” he said.</p><p>Meanwhile, the defense team has designated Atty. Justin Nicol Gular as its deputy spokesperson to help Poa with his duties of attending to media queries and requests for interviews.</p>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday the impeachment case against her “is not supported by evidence.”</p>

Vice President Sara Duterte said Tuesday the impeachment case against her “is not supported by evidence.”

Sara Duterte says impeachment raps ‘not supported by evidence’; may visit Senate to ‘support her employees’

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Sara Duterte says impeachment raps ‘not supported by evidence’; may visit Senate to ‘support her employees’

Katrina Domingo,

Jamaine Punzalan,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 14, 2026 01:16 PM PHT

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Updated July 14, 2026 02:57 PM PHT

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