MANILA, July 7 - Vice President Sara Duterte presented a defiant public posture on Tuesday as prosecutors resumed an impeachment trial that could shape her political future. Briefly addressing reporters before meeting with her legal team, she described herself as "bloodied but unbowed" and appeared in a green polo shirt, a colour closely associated with her political identity.
Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte - who is currently in detention in The Hague facing trial over his deadly "war on drugs" - opted not to attend the Senate proceedings in person. Instead, she allowed her lawyers to stand in for her as the court continued hearing the charges brought in the impeachment complaint.
The trial, which could influence whether she runs for the presidency in 2028, moved on its second day to allegations that the vice president threatened the lives of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady and a former House Speaker. A conviction in the Senate would require the affirmative votes of at least 16 of the chamber's 24 members.
Prosecution focuses on alleged violent remarks
Inside the impeachment court, prosecutor Lorenz Defensor shifted attention to specific accusations that Duterte made threats against the president and other officials. Defensor argued that the statements went beyond ordinary criminal conduct and rose to a constitutional violation because of the vice presidency's significance in the line of succession.
The prosecution called a National Bureau of Investigation official as its first witness to authenticate video clips. One clip, dated October 2024, showed Duterte saying she wanted to behead Marcos. Another clip, from a November 2024 press conference, replayed her saying she had instructed an assassin to kill Marcos, the first lady and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez should anything happen to her.
"I have talked to a person. I said, 'if I get killed, go kill BBM (Marcos), (First Lady) Liza Araneta and (House Speaker) Martin Romualdez.' No joke, no joke," Duterte said in the video. "I said, 'do not stop until you kill them'."
Defensor told the senator-judges that the alleged threats were particularly grave because they came from the nation's second-highest elected official and constitutional successor to the president. He emphasized that the remarks were public and, in the prosecution's view, issued with the intent to be taken seriously.
Broader charges and political backdrop
The alleged threats form part of a wider impeachment complaint that also charges Duterte with misuse of public funds, accumulation of unexplained wealth, bribery and corruption. Duterte has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has framed the impeachment process as politically motivated.
Marcos and Duterte were elected in 2022 on a joint ticket, representing two of the country's prominent political families. According to the complaint and court proceedings, their alliance later devolved into a bitter feud. The defence has argued in response that the impeachment seeks to overturn the mandate of a vice president elected by more than 32 million Filipinos.
As the trial progresses in the Senate, the proceedings will continue to weigh authenticated evidence, witness testimony and legal arguments. The outcome will depend on the votes of the senator-judges who will determine whether the charges meet the threshold for conviction.