Filipinos are expecting Vice President Sara Duterte to directly answer the allegations against her rather than rely on legal technicalities, Malacañang said on July 8, 2026, following her appearance at the Senate ahead of the opening of her impeachment trial. Speaking to reporters, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro acknowledged that Duterte's legal team may have its own strategy, but said the public would rather hear the vice president personally refute the accusations against her.