VP Sara Duterte defends her legal counsel against claims of being a 'bully'

Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday defended her legal counsel against claims of being a "bully," while raising questions about alleged political maneuvering surrounding the proposed 2027 national budget.

In a statement released Oct. 14, Duterte likened her defense team’s position to David facing Goliath, describing the label as an attempt to vilify a counsel defending against an overwhelming display of power.

“Lorna Kapunan calling a defense counsel a bully is like calling David the aggressor against Goliath,” Duterte said.

The Vice President accused the House prosecution panel of intimidating and detaining Office of the Vice President (OVP) personnel, failing to substantiate its allegations, and relying on the upcoming Senate impeachment trial to cover deficiencies in its case.

“After all that, where is the evidence?” she asked.

Duterte also pointed to allegations of cash distribution and political maneuvering tied to the 2027 national budget, questioning whether public funds were being leveraged to influence senators presiding over the impeachment trial.

“Is the budget being used to serve the Filipino people, or has it become a bargaining chip to pressure senators who will sit as judges and reward those who vote ‘yes’ in the House of Representatives?” Duterte said.

She emphasized that her legal team had no part in political transactions, adding that her defense counsel had spent years preparing for the impeachment case since 2023 at the expense of sleep, family time, and peace of mind.

Describing the proceedings as “political theater disguised as accountability,” Duterte warned that the public suffers when state budgets and impeachment mechanisms are used for political survival.

“A defense counsel does not become a bully simply because she refuses to let your accusations go unchallenged,” she added, calling for “evidence, not arrogance; genuine accountability, not political persecution.”

-Paraluman News