MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio ruled out the possibility of stepping down from her position before her impeachment trial begins in the Senate.
“Wala pa tayo doon. Masyado pang malayo ‘yung mga ganyan na mga bagay,” the Vice President said.
Duterte-Carpio was impeached by the House of Representatives on Wednesday for “violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.”
In a press conference in Mandaluyong City on Friday, Duterte-Carpio jokingly said it hurts more to be left by a boyfriend or a girlfriend that be impeached by lawmakers.
“I am okay,” Duterte-Carpio said. “Alam niyo mas masakit pa ang maiwanan ng boyfriend o girlfriend kaysa ma-impeach ka ng House of Representatives.”
Duterte-Carpio revealed she has started preparing for the impeachment proceedings as early as November 2023 when ACT Teachers party-list’s Rep. France Castro bared plans to file a complaint.
“So November of 2023, there were already lawyers doing their work for the impeachment. We leave it to the lawyers,” Duterte-Carpio said.
However, Duterte-Carpio said she will discourage her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, from taking the lead for her legal team due to his advanced age.
She also criticized members of the House who are trying to defend their decision to sign the impeachment after facing backlash from their constituents.
“If you have to explain or defend your signature in a ‘yes’ petition of impeachment, then you feel you have done something wrong. Kasi kung wala ka naman ginawang mali, bakit mo i-defend yung pirma mo?” Duterte-Carpio said./PN
