VP Sara shows up at Senate, but skips trial

Vice President Sara Duterte (center) arrives at the Senate on July 7, 2026 to meet with her defense team. (Photo by Lino Santos)

Vice President Sara Duterte finally showed up at the Senate on Tuesday, but not to attend the second day of her impeachment trial.

Instead, Duterte met with her defense team before conducting an extremely brief press conference where she gave a one-sentence statement and took no questions from the media.

“In this bloodbath and bludgeoning, I will be bloodied but unbowed,” the Vice President said, adding that her defense team was to blame for the decision not to take questions from journalists covering the Senate.

Her defense spokesman, lawyer Michael Poa, specified that Duterte would not participate in the proceedings of the impeachment trial, opting instead to engage with her defense team.

Vice President Sara Duterte (seated, center) meets with the members of her defense team at a holding room inside the Senate hours before Day 2 of her impeachment trial on July 7, 2026. (Courtesy: Office of the Vice President) 

“The VP is present and has numerous engagements. We have a scheduled meeting today. Given the defense’s presence, the VP prefers locations that are convenient for us,” Poa said.

Hostile witness

During Tuesday’s resumption of the impeachment trial, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan asked the court to summon Duterte as a witness, emphasizing that her testimony would be relevant.

She noted that although the Vice President could be a potentially hostile witness, her presence was necessary.

“One of the key witnesses, hostile, would be the Vice President. We are already respectfully informing this Honorable Court that we will manifest that we will have a written request for her presence in connection with this article on grave threats,” Kapunan said.

Private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan attends the second day of impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte on July 7, 2026. (Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines) 

Presiding senator-judge Francis Escudero, however, clarified the impeachment rules do not compel the respondent to attend the hearings.

“The impeachment rules do not mandate nor require the respondent to attend any hearing or trial of the impeachment court,” Escudero said.

“Should the counsel for the prosecutors desire to call the respondent herself, the court will act on that motion and request once it is made and or filed, and need not make a ruling at this point in time,” he added.

Kapunan accepted the ruling but emphasized the prosecution was reserving its right to compel Duterte’s testimony.

“We are not waiving the right to call her at the appropriate time and to file the appropriate request for subpoena duces tecum and subpoena ad testificandum,” Kapunan said.

‘Better for Duterte to appear’

Malacañang, for its part, said Duterte would be better served by personally facing the witnesses against her in the impeachment trial, noting that doing so would allow her to directly refute the allegations.

“As a Filipino and as a lawyer, I believe it is better for a person facing accusations to confront the witnesses against her,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said.

“Although I know she (Duterte) will not accept this, nor anyone else’s opinion, if I were her lawyer and I knew my client had done nothing wrong and was innocent, I would have her face the proceedings so she could refute all the allegations,” Castro added.

She said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not closely monitoring the impeachment trial because he remains focused on carrying out the duties of his office.

“Definitely he will know the news. But as for closely monitoring it, the President has many other duties to attend to,” Castro said.

A video of one of the controversial press conferences held by Vice President Sara Duterte is played on screen during her impeachment trial on July 7, 2026 regarding the grave threats charge against her. (Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines) 

As this developed, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) president and constitutional law expert Domingo Cayosa explained that although the Vice President is not legally required to attend the hearings, public perception remains a critical factor in her trial’s outcome.

“It is a very important process for those high officials in our government who committed mistakes, sin, abuse, or neglect; we can hold them accountable, and we will not wait for the coming election,” Cayosa said in an interview with Dobol B TV.

“The nation also needs to know what her (Duterte) answer will be. What is her argument, and what is the decision of the Senate tribunal, the impeachment tribunal? We need to hear from both sides.”

“That is why the proceedings are open to the public and to the media – for the nation needs to see what is happening, not just be surprised by the result,” he added. — Joel E. Zurbano, Katrina Manubay, Charles Dantes & Maricel Cruz with Jessa Mae Adomael and Ruby Rose D. Bagaporo