Law professor Ralph Sarmiento has declined to testify in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying he wants to preserve his independence and impartiality as a constitutional law scholar and legal analyst.
In a video statement posted online, Sarmiento said he decided against participating in the proceedings after careful consideration, noting that his legal opinions and constitutional scholarship should remain independent of either side.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to decline participation as a witness in the proceedings. This is a personal decision to preserve the independence of my constitutional law scholarship and the impartiality of my legal views and opinions,” Sarmiento said.
He thanked Duterte's defense team for recognizing the value of his legal and constitutional views, which he regularly shares on social media.
Sarmiento, who teaches Political and Constitutional Law at the University of St. La Salle College of Law, previously served as the university's vice chancellor for administration.
He said he did not anticipate that his public statements could potentially become part of the impeachment proceedings.
Sarmiento said that he had already reached out to Duterte's defense team to ask it to withdraw its request for a subpoena for his appearance.
If a subpoena had already been issued, he asked the team to seek its recall from the impeachment court.
Sarmiento reiterated that he could not testify on behalf of either side, stressing the importance of maintaining his independence as a constitutional law professor and legal analyst.
He said he intends to continue sharing his legal opinions freely and fairly, contributing to public understanding of the Constitution through balanced and impartial legal analysis.
The defense team had earlier identified Sarmiento as its first witness in the impeachment trial, where he was expected to discuss legal and constitutional principles relevant to the allegations against the Vice President.
