Vice President Sara Duterte maintained that the impeachment complaint against her is not supported by evidence, citing the proceedings during the fourth day of her Senate impeachment trial.
In a statement released as the Senate reconvened for the fifth day of the trial, Duterte said the hearings have only reinforced her position that the allegations against her lack factual basis.
“The country witnessed what I have been saying all along: the complaint is not supported by evidence,” the Vice President said.
Duterte also accused the prosecution panel of fabricating allegations, particularly regarding the supposed threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“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,” she said.
She added that such actions weaken public institutions, erode trust in government, waste public resources, and compromise the search for truth.
The Vice President emphasized that impeachment proceedings should rely on credible evidence rather than speculation or unsupported claims.
“An impeachment proceeding should be grounded in credible evidence, not speculation, manufactured narratives, or unsupported allegations. The rule of law depends on facts, not fiction,” Duterte said.
The fourth day of the impeachment trial focused on the testimony of National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Regional Director Atty. Jeremy Lotoc regarding Duterte’s alleged threats under the so-called “Oplan Romanov” and her controversial press conference in which she made remarks against President Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez.
Lotoc, who previously headed the NBI Cybercrime Division, testified that investigators found Duterte had the intent, motive, and capability to carry out the alleged threats. He returned to the witness stand as the Senate resumed the impeachment trial on Day 5.
