VP Sara: I will not resign, I will never resign

October 14, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte reiterated that she will not resign from her post amid the Senate impeachment trial and the various accusations being hurled against her.

“No, no, no. I will not resign. I will never resign from the Office of the Vice President,” Duterte said yesterday in a chance interview during the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s 52nd Philippine Business Conference and Expo at Manila Hotel.

Duterte also vowed to proceed with her presidential bid in 2028.

“Yes, yes. That’s why, in one way, I see it as a blessing, the impeachment trial, because that will allow people to examine and scrutinize their questions about my character. And I am grateful to the Philippine Chamber because since 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, until now they still invite me and they are still listening,” Duterte added.

Meanwhile, Duterte refused to answer if she and husband Manases Carpio have unexplained wealth.

“I won’t answer it because I want him (National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag) to call me first. Then he should lay it out well so I could answer his allegations properly,” Duterte said.

The NBI said it is zeroing in on several properties linked to Duterte and other family members after finding major discrepancies in the declared values in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) and the agency’s initial estimates.

Matibag said they have identified about 14 properties based on Duterte’s SALNs and conducted field inspections to compare the declarations with actual structures and improvements.

He said investigators found a property with a mansion, swimming pools and a helipad but which was declared as agricultural land.

A property declared with a value of P890,000 could actually carry a P61-million price tag, Matibag noted.

Defense mum

The defense team refused to confirm whether the Vice President will appear before the impeachment court after the House prosecution panel dropped its plan to call her as a hostile witness.

“Well, if I knew whether it would happen or not, I wouldn’t tell you, right? So, let’s just wait,” defense spokesman Michael Poa said.

Poa issued the reaction after private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said having Duterte take the witness stand would only be an exercise in futility.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said Duterte’s impeachment trial will take a break starting today to give way to the deliberations for the P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 and will resume on Nov. 9 after Undas.

Then the defense starts presenting its counter-evidence on all three Articles of Impeachment.

Poa said there’s no sigh of relief on their part despite the decision of the House prosecution to drop the bribery charges against Duterte.

“I wish I could say that,” said Poa, adding that they are “a long way from finishing what we’re supposed to do and so we’re just focused on the task at hand, which is to present the defense.”

Witnesses ready

The defense has decided on the initial batch of witnesses it will present beginning on Nov. 9.

Poa, however, did not name the witnesses who are among the 90 individuals listed by Duterte’s legal panel.

“We have an idea of who our first few witnesses will be but of course we will not disclose that. We will manifest at the appropriate time,” Poa said.

Poa, however, said nothing is concrete.

“That will also depend on the availability of the witnesses,” said Poa, adding that the defense listed at least 30 trial days.

VP denies property

The Vice President denied owning the property which the NBI is looking at and criticized the use of public funds in going after her and her family members.

“It is alarming that the National Bureau of Investigation – an agency funded by the people – is utilizing its operations for activities that offer no clear public benefit. The lot shown in the photograph, which was claimed to be listed in my statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, does not belong to me,” Duterte said in a statement.

“This kind of public deception is the reason why the NBI was removed from the list of witnesses to be presented by the prosecution in the impeachment proceedings – stemming from allegations that they once again presented questionable evidence, much like the Gracioso affidavit,” Duterte added.

Attacks don’t work

The attacks against the Vice President are not working, as evidenced by the latest Pulse Asia survey where she remained the most preferred candidate for president.

Duterte’s spokesman Paolo Panelo noted that the various issues hurled against Duterte did not affect her rating.

“That’s why they’re doing that because they can’t beat VP Sara in a fair election in 2028. That’s why they’re just focusing and using their resources to discredit VP Sara,” Panelo said.

Results of the Sept. 17 to 24 survey released yesterday showed 50 percent of the respondents saying they would vote for Duterte for president if the 2028 elections were held during the survey period.

She had a 24-point margin over Naga City Mayor and former vice president Leni Robredo, who placed second with the support of 26 percent of the respondents.

Next were Sen. Raffy Tulfo with 12 percent, Sen. Risa Hontiveros with three percent, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro with one percent, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon with one percent and Baguio City Mayor Benjie Magalong with 0.3 percent.