Indonesian Vice President Sara Duterte Didesak Hadapi Sidang Pemakzulan

JAKARTA - The Vice President (Wapres) of the Philippines Sara Z. Duterte is urged to attend the impeachment hearing and answer directly the accusations directed at him. The demand arose because the public was considered entitled to hear explanations from the second highest official in the country.

The Philippine News Agency (PNA) quoted Saturday, June 20, reported that the insistence was made by a member of the Philippine House of Representatives from District 1 La Union, Francisco Paolo Ortega V, in the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

Ortega said Sara Duterte should be present in the trial so that she can present her defense directly.

"If people ask questions and look for answers, it's better if the answers come directly from the person concerned," Ortega said.

He assessed that integrity was an important thing for public officials, especially for figures who put themselves to a high standard of office.

"If you are running for president or vice president of the Philippines, you have an obligation to the people to answer," Ortega said.

According to Ortega, if Duterte does not attend the hearing, the decision is up to the defense team to determine the next steps.

The pre-trial conference in the impeachment process against Sara Duterte began on Thursday and will continue on June 22.