Former senator Leila de Lima has issued a sharp response to Vice President Sara Duterte’s controversial remark that she wants a “bloodbath” in the upcoming impeachment proceedings against her.
De Lima, who is poised to return to Congress as the lead nominee of the Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list, emphasized that the impeachment process should be treated with the gravity it deserves.
“The Vice President should understand that an impeachment trial is a solemn and constitutional mechanism for accountability, not a spectacle for violence and chaos,” De Lima said in a statement on Sunday.
She criticized Duterte’s rhetoric, calling it emblematic of what she described as a familiar pattern of “braggadocio, mindless arrogance, toxic rhetoric, and a penchant for violence.”
De Lima made clear that in an impeachment trial, only the accused is under scrutiny, not the prosecutors, the Senate judges, or the public.
“There can be no ‘bloodbath,’” she said. “If anyone is to take a hit in this process, politically or legally, it will be the impeached official—no one else.”
She assured the public that the proceedings would remain grounded in fairness and the rule of law.
“Vice President Duterte is welcome to observe how the trial will be conducted with utmost seriousness, where her rights will be respected and the proceedings held in accordance with legal standards—without theatrics or manufactured drama,” De Lima said.
She added a warning for the Vice President’s legal team: “This is not a stage for brute force or political theater. Any attempt to disrupt or mock the sanctity of the process will be met with contempt charges, as the law allows.”
De Lima, along with human rights lawyer Chel Diokno of Akbayan, has confirmed participation in the 11-member prosecution panel for the House of Representatives, which will handle the impeachment case.
The Vice President earlier said she welcomed the trial and reiterated her desire for a “bloodbath,” suggesting she expected a fierce legal confrontation.
“As lawyers, we know how attorneys can maneuver within the law for their clients. But I’ve made it clear to my legal team—I truly want this trial because I want a bloodbath,” Duterte said.
Reacting to the inclusion of De Lima and Diokno in the prosecution panel, Duterte expressed no surprise, branding both as long-time critics of the Duterte political dynasty.
“It’s no shock that Leila de Lima and Chel Diokno are involved. They’ve been anti-Duterte since day one—even before my father became president, De Lima was already a vocal critic,” she said.
The impeachment proceedings are expected to be one of the most politically charged trials in recent years, with both camps bracing for a high-stakes confrontation that could significantly impact the national political landscape.