MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio has categorically rejected calls for her resignation amid her ongoing impeachment trial, declaring she would never voluntarily step down and daring President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to remove her from office instead.
Speaking in an interview from The Hague, Netherlands, Duterte-Carpio said resigning would betray the more than 32 million Filipinos who elected her in the 2022 national elections, as she continued to denounce the impeachment case against her as politically motivated.
“Oh, never gonna happen. Hindi ako magre-resign dahil ‘yun ay parang betrayal sa 32.2 million na mga kababayan natin na bumoto sa akin,” she said. “Kung gusto ni BBM tanggalin niya ako, gawin niya ang lahat, tanggalin niya ako.”
The Vice President is facing an impeachment trial over allegations that include the alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds, unexplained wealth, and betrayal of public trust. She has repeatedly denied all accusations.
Duterte-Carpio also took aim at President Marcos’ fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), dismissing it as unworthy of her attention and calling it “a waste of time.”
“Hindi ako nanood ng SONA like last year. And wala akong planong basahin ang nilalaman ng SONA o kahit man lang summary dahil I truly believe it is a waste of time of the Filipino people,” Duterte-Carpio said.
President Marcos delivered his SONA on Monday before a joint session of Congress, outlining his administration’s legislative agenda and announcing that the Office of the Ombudsman was preparing to file multiple cases against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez over the alleged flood control anomaly.
The Vice President likewise accused Marcos of failing to fulfill commitments he allegedly made when she agreed to become his running mate in the 2022 elections, claiming that one of those promises was broken only months after they assumed office.
She also questioned whether the President had delivered on key campaign pledges, including lowering the price of rice to P20 per kilogram and sending certain individuals to jail before Christmas.
“So bakit pa kayo naniniwala…,” Duterte-Carpio said.
The Office of the Vice President earlier said Duterte-Carpio was in the Netherlands from July 16 to 31, explaining her absence from this year’s State of the Nation Address./PN
