Former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte / Facebook

MANILA, Philippines – While confirming former President Rodrigo Duterte’s possible participation in her legal team, Vice President Sara Duterte said she is likely to advise her father to not take the lead defense for her impeachment cases because of the “rigorous preparations” and his old age. 

“He’s welcome, he is a lawyer, he is welcome to make his advice input in the defense,” the Vice President said Friday, February 7 when she faced the media for the first time in 2025. 

“Maybe if he wants to, he can be part of the defense team but because of his age and because of rigorous preparations in an impeachment case, baka sabihin ko sa kanya na ‘wag na lang siyang mag-lead,” she said. 

“Dahil medyo may edad na si former President Rodrigo Duterte. He’s already 80 years old this year,” she said.

The Vice President said she has communicated with her father briefly. She sent a message to the former state chief saying“everything will be alright” to which the father replied with a video of himself singing a few lines from the 1967 song “MacArthur Park” by American singer Jimmy Webb. 

Mum on defense team 

Duterte also did not reveal yet the composition of her defense team apart from her father. 

“Makikita niyo na yan pagpasok nila ng kanilang entry of appearance,” she said. 

The Vice President said she also has not read the complaints yet but her lawyers have already reviewed the articles from the House of Representatives. 

More lawyers, Duterte said, are pledging support to help her defense.

“Naooverwhelm kami kasi ang daming lawyers na nagsignify na tutulong sila sa defense,” Duterte said. 

“Ngayon ay pinaguusapan on how to go about it na makuha ‘yung kanilang commitment of support makatulong din sila sa pag-iisip anong gagawin sa defense,” she said. 

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