No plan to resign, says Philippines Vice President Sara after impeachment

ISLAMABAD

Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said that she has no plan yet to resign despite impeachment by the lower house of the parliament.

Speaking to reporters, Duterte said they are still reading the impeachment complaint and her lawyers are working on it, the Inquirer reported.

“We’re not yet there. That’s still too far ahead,” Duterte said.

Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, was impeached after more than two-thirds of the members of parliament signed a petition to oust her.

Following the vote, the impeachment petition has been submitted to the Senate for a trial that could result in Duterte being barred from holding public office.

Duterte has been accused of misusing funds when she led the country’s Education Department.

The petition came amid a feud in which Duterte accused President Ferdinand Marcos Junior of wanting her dead, alleging that he sees her as the "biggest threat" to his hopes of reelection in 2028.

Marcos and Duterte were running mates in the 2022 elections, winning a six-year term together.

However, the alliance has been upended in recent months, leading Duterte to resign last June from Marcos' Cabinet, where she held the education portfolio.