Photo: VP Sara and FPRRD

MANILA, Philippines – Former President Rodrigo Duterte will stand as lawyer for Vice President Sara Duterte who is expected to face multiple legal challenges next year, including three impeachment cases filed against her. 

The younger Duterte earlier mentioned that her father offered to pay lawyers for her defense but she refused since her team had already prepared for the impeachment cases. She however accepted his offer to lawyer for her. 

“Sabi niya na, since hindi ko tatanggapin yung pera, mag-lawyer siya para sa akin. So sinabi niya, he will be a collaborating counsel for all cases,” the Vice President said in an interview in Davao City Wednesday. 

The Vice President is currently facing three impeachment complaints anchored mostly on her supposed misuse of the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during her tenure as secretary. A Direct Assault complaint was also filed against her by the Quezon City Police District for her alleged disobedience to authority, and grave coercions during the controversial hospital transfer of her top aide. 

She is also being investigated by the National Bureau of investigation over her alleged kill-plot against President Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

“He’ll be one of the lawyers for all of the cases, and he is preparing his documents ngayon sa IBP,” she said. 

Furthermore, her team is now doing an inventory of all the cases where each one will have a specific lawyer assigned. 

“Gumawa kami ng mga inventory of cases base sa mga nabasa namin sa media based on interviews sa agencies of government, House of Representatives, Department of Justice, NBI, and PNP. And then each case may assigned lawyer to handle the case,” she said. 

The three impeachment complaints are still pending at the House of Representatives and are yet endorsed to the Senate that would act as an impeachment court. 

Senate President Chiz Escudero already said that there will be no preparations for impeachment unless the complaints formally reach the upper chamber. He too will not encourage his fellow senators to study the rules of impeachment this early so as not to be perceived presumptuous. 

Presidential race

With all of the legal woes she is facing, the younger Duterte remains unfazed that the family sees past the challenges of the months to follow and looks way ahead to the 2028 presidential race. 

The Duterte patriarch, during the “Pahalipay sa Pasko” annual gift giving event in their family home in Bangkal, Davao City on Wednesday even pushed for his daughter as the next president. 

“Dili pa man ko kandidato no. I feel the support ni former President Rodrigo Duterte, but siguro hulaton na lang nato kanang naa na gyud ang contest nga makita na nato ang mga kandidato for the 2028 national elections,” she said in Visayan. 

(Hindi pa naman ako kandidato. I feel the support of former President Rodrigo Duterte, pero siguro, hintayin na lang natin kung nandiyan na talaga ang contest, makikita na natin ang mga kandidato for the 2028 national elections.)

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