MANILA— Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday defended her impeachment counsel against accusations of bullying, questioned the evidence supporting the impeachment case against her, and raised concerns over alleged political maneuvering surrounding the 2027 national budget.

In a statement dated Oct. 14, Duterte likened her defense counsel’s situation to David facing Goliath, arguing that calling the lawyer a bully was an attempt to vilify someone defending against overwhelming political power.

“Lorna Kapunan calling a defense counsel a bully is like calling David the aggressor against Goliath,” Duterte said.

She accused her critics of threatening and intimidating personnel from the Office of the Vice President (OVP), using the House of Representatives’ subpoena powers, and bringing impeachment articles to the Senate without establishing the allegations with compelling evidence.

“After all that, where is the evidence?” she asked.

Duterte also questioned whether alleged cash distribution and political maneuvering related to the 2027 national budget were being used to pressure senators who would sit as judges in her impeachment trial and reward House members who voted in favor of the impeachment.

She maintained that her defense counsel had no role in the alleged political transactions and was simply performing her duties.

Since 2023, Duterte said, her defense team had spent countless hours preparing for the case, sacrificing sleep, family time, and peace of mind to study documents and build its defense.

“The public deserves better than political theater disguised as accountability,” she said, warning that impeachment and the national budget should not be used as instruments of political survival.

Duterte also criticized what she described as arrogance and name-calling, arguing that a defense counsel should not be labeled a bully for challenging accusations.

“If accountability is truly your battle cry, apply it consistently—even to the President, who is firm that a drug habit is not about accountability,” she said.

She ended her statement with the words: “Evidence, not arrogance. Genuine accountability, not political persecution.”