Marcos tells House: Don’t impeach Sara on mending ties: Never say never

MANILA, Philippines — Even as relations between him and Vice President Sara Duterte continue to deteriorate, President Marcos said he does not support the impeachment of the country’s second highest official as it would not benefit the Filipino people.

In a chance interview yesterday in Lucena City, Quezon, Marcos was asked to confirm a message that allegedly came from him and is circulating online, asking his allies to stop any impeachment effort against Duterte.

The text quoted the President as saying, “In the larger scheme of things, Sara is unimportant. So please do not file impeachment complaints.”

“It was actually a private communication, but it was leaked already. Yes, because that’s really my opinion. This is not important. This does not make any difference to even one single Filipino life. So why waste time on this?” Marcos told reporters.

“What will happen if somebody files an impeachment? It will tie down the House, it will tie down the Senate. It will just take up all our time, and for what? For nothing, for nothing. None of this will help improve a single Filipino life,” Marcos said.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a storm in a teacup,” he added.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chairman Teodoro Casiño said Marcos should reconsider his stand on Duterte’s possible impeachment, saying holding accountable government officials accused of corruption, whether by impeachment or cases filed before the Office of the Ombudsman or Sandiganbayan, is “never a waste of time and resources.”

“While we do not expect the President to intervene in the impeachment of Vice President Duterte, it is improper for him to dismiss efforts to hold her accountable through this process. In fact, not doing so is a betrayal of the public interest and the people’s trust,” Casiño said in a statement.

By saying an impeachment is only a waste of time, Casiño added, Marcos is only deepening the culture of impunity in the country, wherein public funds are questioned but the people responsible are not held accountable.

He stressed that government officials such as Duterte should be punished, as failure to do so can lead to more wastage of public funds.

Earlier, Duterte accused Marcos of seeking to remove her from office. She also declared at a press conference in Zamboanga City on Wednesday that nothing can mend the strained relations between her and Marcos, which have reached “the point of no return.”

Asked if he thinks his relationship with the Vice President has indeed reached the point of no return, Marcos replied, “Never say never.”

Marcos vowed to fight the Vice President’s “disturbing” plot to have him, First Lady Liza Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez assassinated, if she were to be killed.

Duterte, shortly after the National Bureau of Investigation said they had summoned her to appear before them, said her instruction was a “plan without a flesh.”

On Wednesday, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV called for Duterte’s impeachment while former lawyer Larry Gadon called for disbarment, saying he and other lawyers were disbarred for lighter offenses.

Col. Melecio Buslig Jr., Quezon City Police District director, and officials of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group also on Wednesday filed criminal charges against Duterte and the chief of her security detail for instigating a commotion at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) where her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez was taken after being moved from St. Luke’s Medical Center.

The House of Representatives is investigating Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds.

Marcos earlier said the issue would not have reached dramatic proportions had Duterte answered the “legitimate” questions raised in the Senate and the House regarding the funds’ usage.

Makabayan to endorse impeach complaint

Although House majority leaders said the filing of an impeachment complaint

against Duterte is not in their agenda, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said the Makabayan bloc has “resolved” to endorse an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

“The Makabayan bloc has resolved to endorse any impeachment complaint that will come from our people’s organizations. We have already talked about it and recent events will be taken into account,” Castro said in Filipino during an interview with “Storycon” on One News.

Castro expressed disappointment with Marcos’ telling his allies not to file an impeachment complaint against Duterte.

She urged her colleagues to remain independent and not heed the President’s position on the matter.

“We are a co-equal body and he should not influence (members of Congress). Although this is political, he should let the legislature act independently and without his influence,” Castro stressed.

Although there are no formal discussions at the House regarding Duterte’s impeachment, Castro believes that they have the numbers to impeach Duterte.

But she said Marcos’ statement could change lawmakers’ votes on the matter. “I hope the (House) leadership will be independent,” she said.

Castro said they do not have a timeline yet as to when an impeachment complaint will be filed, but recognized that time is of the essence, given that Congress will soon adjourn ahead of the election season.

Not in House agenda

In a joint statement, Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker David Suarez and Majority Leader Manuel Dalipe said impeachment is not in their agenda as the focus of the House committees is to “uncover the truth behind the confidential funds.”

“As we have repeatedly pointed out in media interviews, impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are not on our agenda,” the majority bloc leaders’ joint statement read.

“While we are committed to upholding transparency and accountability, the primary focus of the House committees concerned is on uncovering the truth behind the use of confidential funds and addressing any alleged irregularities linked to questionable businesses that reportedly emerged during the previous administration,” it added.

Gonzales, Suarez and Dalipe said the House of Representatives would serve as a “check and balance while safeguarding public trust.”

“The Filipino people deserve answers regarding these serious matters and we aim to fulfill this responsibility without political distractions or divisiveness,” the three congressmen said.

However, they also said the House has a constitutional duty to act on impeachment complaints filed by ordinary citizens against impeachable officials. They added that should an impeachment complaint be filed in accordance with rules, the House is obligated to deliberate on it fairly and transparently, ensuring that the process adheres to the highest standards of justice.

“Let us work together to ensure that governance remains focused on what truly matters – delivering results and improving the lives of our people – while fulfilling all constitutional mandates with integrity and impartiality,” their statement also read.

Rep. Jefferson Khonghun said a decision to support an impeachment complaints rests with individual members of the House.

“It is within the individual conscience of each member of the House if they will support the impeachment, if ever somebody files it,” Khonghun said.

Casiño said Marcos should just let Congress decide its fate.

“Discouraging an impeachment would also seem that the President is still hoping to rekindle their alliance,” he said.

Malacañang declined to comment on the claim of the Makabayan bloc that Marcos is interfering in the affairs of Congress.

“No comment for now,” Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cesar Chavez told reporters in a text message.

Yesterday, Senate President Francis Escudero urged senators to refrain from commenting about the impeachment proposal, citing conflict of interest.

“I won’t comment on anything that has to do with impeachment, given that we (senators) are tasked to hear all impeachment cases. I likewise call on and urge my colleagues to do the same,” Escudero said. – Janvic Mateo, Jose Rodel Clapano, Emmanuel Tupas, Marc Jayson Cayabyab