DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 12 Dec) – Vice President Sara Duterte firmly declared that she has no intentions of leaving the Philippines or hiding should she face arrest from possible legal issues and impeachment complaints.
Speaking to the press on Wednesday, which was also streamed live on Facebook, Duterte said she would stay in the country, citing her children as the primary reason for her decision.
“I don’t plan to leave the country. I don’t plan to hide if there will be a warrant of arrest mainly because my children are here,” Duterte told reporters.
She said her lawyers told her to expect moves for her “removal from office, impeachment, and then piled-up cases.”
Duterte has been the subject of several impeachment complaints from the House of Representatives, with the first complaint submitted on Dec. 2 by civil society organizations, religious leaders, and families of drug war victims led by Akbayan Partylist Rep. Perci Cendaña.
It cites grounds including betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes.
The second complaint was filed on Dec. 4 by Makabayan bloc members Rep. Raoul Manuel (Kabataan Partylist), Rep. Arlene Brosas (Gabriela Women’s Party), and Rep. France Castro (ACT Teachers Partylist).
Their reasons for the impeachment include betrayal of public trust, misuse of government funds through her alleged “abuse, misuse, and wastage” of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds from the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education, and other counts, demanding her permanent removal from public office.
Duterte said she expects another impeachment case, so with her lawyers, they will craft a defense against these complaints once they receive copies of the impeachment complaints.
But she said that with the current political situation, apparently pertaining to the House and Senate mostly led by allies of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., “it’s a different matter altogether, so we don’t know what will happen.”
“We are confident with the legal aspect of the impeachment, because all the lawyers that I asked to review the initial draft of the impeachment complaint, they said that this is not an impeachable offense, and this is not an actionable offense, things like that,” Duterte said.
Amid the ongoing issues, she said she remained focused on her family and she declined financial assistance from her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, to cover legal costs.
Duterte also said she will discuss the matter with her father during their family’s Christmas gathering in Davao, if given the chance.
Duterte held a press conference in her office while failing to attend the National Bureau of Investigation’s hearing on alleged grave threats against Marcos, his wife Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Marcos’ cousin and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
NBI subpoenaed Duterte to appear on Dec. 12 to attend the hearing after she failed to appear with the same investigation on November 29.
Duterte said she gave a letter through her lawyer, Atty. Paul Lim, for her non-appearance and denial, while saying that she does not think the investigation would be “fair.”
She cited Marcos’ video statement, although not addressed directly to her, which stated that “criminal plans” against him and the first lady “should not be overlooked.”
Duterte thus said she doesn’t expect the NBI investigation to be fair as there is already bias in the President’s pronouncements.
“Even if they say there is an investigation, from the very beginning they already decided to file cases,” she added.
She clarified anew that it was “not a threat to Marcos’ life,” but rather a “possibility” that she might be killed.
In her virtual press conference back in Nov. 23, Duterte revealed that Romualdez “might kill her” because “he has many insecurities.” She said, too, that people should not worry about her security “because I already talked to someone. I told him if they kill me, kill BBM, Liza Araneta, and Martin Romualdez. No joke. I already gave my order. When I die, I said don’t stop until you kill them. And then he said, yes.”
But she said she did not regret saying her statement against the Marcoses.
“Buti na ‘yung alam nila na ’pag namatay ako (it’s good that they already know so if I die), I will not die in vain,” Duterte said. (Ian Carl Espinosa / MindaNews)
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