De Lima: VP Duterte using Edsa rally to distract from impeachment trial

MANILA, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte’s remark that the rally on Edsa reflected “growing sentiment” against the Marcos administration may be aimed at diverting attention from her upcoming impeachment trial, Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima said Tuesday.

“With the impeachment trial of VP Sara approaching, we expect her to use occasions like this and other issues to divert public attention from the charges against her,” she said in an X post in mixed English and Filipino.

“She talks as if she has the moral high ground and as if she has made any real contribution to solving the country’s problems,” she added.

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READ: Sara Duterte: Edsa rally reflects growing frustration with Marcos

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Duterte had said that protesters gathered at Edsa reflected a “growing sentiment” against the Marcos administration, which she criticized for “poor governance” and failing to address the country’s pressing needs.

Her statement came as thousands of Iglesia ni Cristo members gathered along Edsa, as the influential religious group opposed what it described as “selective justice” and the “distortion of law” following the announced filing of a plunder complaint against Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

“The people gathered in Edsa today reflect a growing sentiment that I have consistently expressed since 2024,” Duterte said.

“She even has the gall to speak about ‘character’ and ‘accountability’, including the weaponization of the justice system to silence dissent, which her father once used as a playbook,” de Lima said.

Duterte, twice impeached over allegations ranging from threats against President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his family to unexplained wealth, misuse of confidential funds and bribery, faces a Senate impeachment trial set to begin July 6. /mr

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