Jamaine Punzalan

Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

VP SARA DUTERTE

Jervis Manahan

Johnson Manabat

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/178331471786820260218-vp-sara-duterte-presidency-MT5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte announces her intention to run for the presidency in the 2028 national elections during a press conference at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) headquarters in Mandaluyong City on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span> </div><div> </div><p>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte will not attend the first day of her Senate impeachment trial on Monday, her camp said.</p><p>“She has chosen to appear by counsel today, in accordance with the impeachment rules,” said Michael Poa, spokesperson for the defense team. </p><p>“Karapatan naman po niya yun that her appearance be made through counsel. So, sa ngayon po masasabi natin na hindi na siya mag-a-attend today,” he said in a press briefing hours ahead of the impeachment trial. </p><p>He added that Duterte was “in a planning session with members of the OVP to prepare for super typhoon Bavi.”  </p><p>“Ang mandato po niya bilang Bise Presidente ay magtrabaho para sa bayan ay yun nga po yung ginagawa niya,” he said. </p><p>Poa added that the defense team would assess if the Vice President needs to be physically present as the trial proceeds. </p><p>“That will depend on how the proceedings go and we will advise her accordingly,” he said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;MATTER OF LEGAL STRATEGY&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In a separate statement, Duterte said Monday the decision on whether to personally testify or not in the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial">impeachment trial </a>“is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights” on which the opinion of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was “of no importance.” </p><p>Marcos said over the weekend that it would be easier &quot;get to the bottom of everything&quot; if Duterte would appear before the Senate impeachment court when her trial opens on Monday afternoon. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/5/marcos-says-better-for-vp-duterte-to-attend-impeachment-trial-0829">Marcos says better for VP Duterte to attend impeachment trial </a></div><p>“The opinion of a President in an impeachment proceeding is of no importance,” Duterte said. </p><p>“Impeachment proceedings must be guided by the Constitution and due process. The respondent has the right to be represented by counsel, and the decision to personally testify is a matter of legal strategy and constitutional rights,” she said in a statement. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/sara-duterte-impeachment-trial">Impeachment Trial of Sara Duterte </a></div><p>The Vice President said that “the burden remains on the prosecution to prove its case.” </p><p>“Choosing to appear through counsel rather than testify personally does not diminish accountability or imply a lack of transparency,” Duterte said.  </p><p>“The integrity of an impeachment trial depends on adherence to the rule of law-not on whether the respondent personally takes the stand,” she said. </p><p>Duterte said “public officials are best served by keeping their personal opinions to themselves and relying instead on the law, established policies, scientific evidence, and objective facts when addressing matters of public concern.” </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/senate-impeachment-court-begins-historic-sara-duterte-trial-0848">Senate impeachment court all set for historic Sara Duterte trial</a><br style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial" id="isPasted"/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/five-things-to-know-about-the-vp-sara-duterte-and-her-impeachment-0949">Five things to know about VP Sara Duterte and her impeachment</a><br style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial"/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/6-000-police-secure-senate-for-first-day-of-vp-duterte-impeachment-trial-0917">6,000 police secure Senate for first day of VP Duterte impeachment trial</a> </div><p>Meanwhile, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Duterte&#x27;s statement against the President does not help in clearing her name.</p><p>&quot;VP Sara should practice what she preaches now. Sa impeachment court na lang magpaliwanag at magpahayag si VP Sara ng kanyang mga salaysay,&quot; she said.</p><p>&quot;Anumang statement niya laban sa Pangulo at sa mga sinasabi ng Pangulo kung labas ito sa korte ay hindi makakatulong na linisin ang pangalan  niya,&quot; Castro added.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>BIR BOX  </strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Poa also clarified that the defense team was not opposing the opening of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) box allegedly containing the tax records of Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio. </p><p>“We never opposed the opening of the BIR box. In fact, our comment says that we are not averse to the pre-marking of the documents inside the box,” said Poa. </p><p>Poa was also asked to comment on the <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/marcoleta-arrest-plunder-1023">arrest of Duterte’s known ally Sen. Rodante Marcolete</a> but said it was not proper for him to comment on the issue and his focus is mainly on the defense of the Vice President. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-1405">LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Impeachment Trial (Day 1) </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/6/prosecution-distances-duterte-impeachment-from-marcoleta-s-arrest-1352">Prosecution distances Duterte impeachment from Marcoleta’s arrest</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/XoYjjc_RPBw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Vice President Sara Duterte will not attend the first day of her Senate impeachment trial on Monday, her legal counsel Michael Poa said. </p>

Vice President Sara Duterte will not attend the first day of her Senate impeachment trial on Monday, her legal counsel Michael Poa said.

Duterte skips start of Senate impeachment trial

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Duterte skips start of Senate impeachment trial

Jervis Manahan,

Johnson Manabat,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 06, 2026 01:14 PM PHT

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Updated July 06, 2026 04:28 PM PHT

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