Sara Agrees With Chiz: Impeachment Simply Anti-Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte has supported the statement of Senate President Francis Escudero that the impeachment case against her was “simply anti-Duterte,” amid the Senate’s decision to archive the Articles of Impeachment.

“I am not surprised at the declaration of Sen. Chiz Escudero because there are really such individuals… colored yellow, or they’re colored pink, or they are Marcos loyalists, and their foes – former president Rodrigo Duterte is their enemy – by deduction, I am their enemy,” Duterte said in a chance interview in Davao City.

“It seems they label all Dutertes as one Duterte, so I am not surprised,” she said.

In his speech on Wednesday, Aug. 6, Escudero asked if those critical of the Supreme Court (SC) ruling are “truly for accountability” or “simply anti-Duterte.” 

“Remove the name of the Vice President in this case, apply the decision of the high court, as Senator Cayetano said earlier, to another impeachable official. Would our positions, would your positions be the same?” Escudero said.

Nineteen senators voted to archive the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President as they wait for the SC to resolve the appeals on its landmark but controversial decision finding the impeachment complaint unconstitutional.

Four senators – Minority Leader Tito Sotto, Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino – voted against the motion, while Sen. Panfilo Lacson abstained.

Duterte stressed that the majority decision of the Senate should be respected after it voted to archive the Articles of Impeachment against her.

“We need to respect the role of the Senate of the Philippines here in our country. So if that is the decision of the majority of the Senate, everybody should follow and respect it,” Duterte said.

‘I wanted a bloodbath’ 

She said her 16-member defense team prepared for all possible outcomes in the Senate deliberations on the SC ruling.

“Actually, we did not expect anything. Our defense team really prepared for all the possibilities, and the Senate archiving the impeachment complaint was one of the possibilities,” Duterte said.

She added it is unfortunate that the “bloodbath” she wants will no longer happen in the Senate. 

“As I said, I wanted a bloodbath, meaning, I wanted… all the pieces of evidence from the prosecution and all the pieces of evidence from the defense presented for everyone. But unfortunately, it will not happen for now,” she maintained.