Philippine vice president rules out resigning, impeachment trial looms

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte

Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday ruled out resigning for now as she prepares to face an impeachment trial, two days after the lower house of Congress endorsed the move against her over an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and misuse of public funds.

The 46-year-old daughter of Marcos’s predecessor Rodrigo Duterte, in her first press conference since the House of Representatives impeached, also denied having threatened to have the president, her erstwhile ally, assassinated.

In November, she told an online news conference she had contracted an assassin to kill Marcos, his wife and House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who is the president’s cousin, in the event she herself were killed.

In Friday’s press conference, Duterte said her legal team for the impeachment trial in the Senate may include her father.

If her impeachment is endorsed by the upper house, Duterte would be removed from the No. 2 post and disqualified from public service.

She also told the press that she is considering running in the 2028 presidential election.