Sara Duterte: ‘If I get impeached, then that’s my end’

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, November 27, appeared resigned to accepting her fate in the event she is impeached.

“If I get impeached, then that’s my end,” Duterte said in a press conference in this southern Philippine city. “They can always spend and spend money so as to fight against me.”

“Gumastos at magwaldas ng pera ng gobyerno para iimpeach ang vice president…para pagtakpan at pagtakpan ang kakulangan at pagsisinungaling ng ating administrasyon para matakpan ng mga tao na ang mga pangako ay napako, ay babanatan at babanatan nila ako. They can try, and then let’s see,” she said.

(They spend and squander government money to impeach the Vice President in order to cover up the shortcomings and lies of the administration, to cover up the unfulfilled promises, they will repeatedly attack me. They can try, and then let’s see.)

“Pinipilit nila to take it out of its logical context. Abogado ako. Alam ko kung anong illegal at kung ano ang legal. Alam ko ano ang actionable at ang hindi actionable. Hindi actionable ang maghabilin ka,” she said, referring to her earlier pronouncement that she had already asked someone to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event she is killed.

(They forcibly took it out of its logical context. I’m a lawyer. I know what is illegal and legal. I know what’s actionable and not actionable. To leave a will [to kill] is not actionable.)

“Walang mali doon. Walang illegal doon (There’s nothing wrong there. That’s nothing illegal there),” she said.

“I really believe that I have reached the point of no return,” she lamented, as she stressed that government is clearly running after her. “They are really going after me.”

“Gusto nila talaga akong tanggalin sa posisyon (They really want to remove me from my post),” she said, expressing her belief that various sectors in government are out to remove her from office.

However, the Vice President said that everything she said was the truth. She was referring to her statements regarding the alleged involvement of the First Lady and the House Speaker in the disbursement of public funds.

She also claimed that Romualdez wants to become Vice President. Section 9 Article VII of the Philippine Constitution says that the President has the power to nominate a legislator from the Senate or the House of Representatives to fill the vacancy left in the Office of the Vice President. Whoever is nominated by the President, however, would be subject to “confirmation by a majority vote of all the members of both Houses of the Congress, voting separately.” 

“Hindi n’ya alam na ayaw ng mga congressman at ng mga senador na mag vice president s’ya. Ang hindi n’ya alam, ayaw ng mga taong-bayan na mag vice president si Martin Romualdez. Unfortunately, hindi ‘yon maintidihan ni Martin Romualdez,” she said.

(She doesn’t know that congressmen and senators don’t want him to be vice president. He doesn’t know that the people don’t want Martin Romualdez to be vice president. Unfortunately, Martin Romualdez doesn’t undertand that.)

The Vice President then said that during her latest experience in the House of Representatives, where she was grilled by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, she experienced threats.

“Documented lahat ang threats doon sa akin (Those threats are all documented),” she said, mentioning text messages that she, the Office of the Vice President, and her family allegedly received.

The Vice President likewise commented on the heightened security for the First Family: “Ibig sabihin ba no’n, papatayin na ako? (Does that mean I’m going to be killed?).”

Gov’t moves vs Sara

Duterte now faces various legal consequences in connection with her threats. The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Tuesday, November 26, served a subpoena to Office of the Vice President.

In the subpoena, Duterte was directed to appear before NBI Director Jaime Santiago, at his office, at 9 am on Friday, November 29, “to shed light on the investigation for alleged grave threats and possible violation of Republic Act No. 11479” or the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The DOJ said Duterte has five days “to respond and explain her recent threatening remarks” directed at the Marcoses and Romualdez, and that the NBI has started its manhunt for the person who allegedly agreed to assassinate the three personalities.

Duterte said she has responded to the subpoena and requested a rescheduling. She cited a prior commitment, specifically her attendance at a House panel hearing scheduled for Friday, where she is due to address concerns over the spendings of the Office of the Vice President. – Rappler.com