Marcos Jr., House leaders meet

2nd impeachment case filed vs VP

MANILA, Philippines —  Amid impeachment moves against Vice President Sara Duterte, President Marcos met with key members of the House of Representatives for several hours yesterday in what Malacañang described as a “fellowship.”

The meeting took place at the Palace on the same day that a second impeachment case was filed against Duterte by several groups for alleged misuse of government funds.

“The gathering is meant to be a fellowship between the Office of the President and members of the House of Representatives, which was already scheduled some time ago. The event is for close-in coverage only,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a statement.

The PCO was asked for comment on the meeting as several vehicles bearing “8” protocol plates, assigned to House members, lined up inside the Malacañang complex yesterday.

Marcos’ meeting with House members sparked speculation that it was related to the ongoing impeachment charges against the President’s ally-turned-arch critic.

Among those present at the meeting were Marcos’ cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe.

The PCO has yet to provide details on the issues discussed with the President.

Malacañang has distanced itself from the filing of the impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

“The impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives by several private citizens is clearly the complainants’ independent initiative, and its endorsement, the prerogative of any member of the House of Representatives,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said in a statement on Tuesday.

“The Office of the President has nothing to do with it. The President’s earlier statement on the matter is unambiguous,” Bersamin added.

The first impeachment complaint against Duterte was filed on Monday by civil society leaders, former government officials, religious figures and sectoral representatives and was endorsed by Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña. A second complaint was filed on Wednesday by progressive groups and was endorsed by lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc.

In a media interview last week, Marcos confirmed asking House members to refrain from filing an impeachment case against Duterte, saying it would not benefit the Filipino people.

Marcos was asked to confirm a message that allegedly came from him and was 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.”

Numbers ‘aren’t there’

Former National Security Adviser (NSA) professor Clarita Carlos, however, doubted if the second impeachment complaint filed by the Makabayan coalition against the Vice President could muster enough numbers.

“The numbers (to impeach Duterte) aren’t there,” Carlos told The STAR on Tuesday. She did not elaborate.

Carlos, who had served for six months as NSA to President Marcos from June 2022 until Jan. 13, 2023 and now works at the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, made the statement ahead of the Makabayan coalition’s filing an impeachment complaint against Duterte for “betrayal of public trust.”

Under the rules and requirements on impeachable officials, such can be removed from office after two-thirds vote of the 24-member Senate acting as impeachment court.

The impeachment complaint needs the signature of one-third, or more than 103 of the total 312 lawmakers, for it to get past the House committee on justice and go directly to the plenary.

Carlos may be referring to this when she said that “the numbers aren’t there.”

However, if the threshold is not reached, then this will be forwarded to the House justice committee where its chairman, Rep. Juliet Ferrer, and panel members will decide whether the suit is sufficient in form and in substance before its merits are taken up in several deliberations.

Once the House panel endorses this to plenary, congressmen will cast their votes whether they will elevate the impeach complaint to the Senate.

Both chambers of the 19th Congress have just nine session days left before they adjourn for their Christmas break on Dec. 18. Marcos has said that he wants them to prioritize pending bills of national importance than be unnecessarily distracted by impeachment activities.

Second complaint filed

Over 70 complainants from progressive groups, youth organizations and concerned citizens gathered at the House of Representatives on Wednesday to file a new impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte, accusing her of “betrayal of public trust.”

It highlights three specific actions that the complainants believe warrant Duterte’s removal from office.

The complaint cited Duterte’s gross abuse of discretionary powers in handling P612 million in confidential funds. They also accused her of gross disregard for transparency and accountability, and pointed to dereliction of official duty for her refusal to recognize congressional oversight during budget deliberations.

Bayan chairman Teddy Casiño, speaking at a press briefing, called Duterte’s actions a betrayal of public trust.

“What Vice President Sara Duterte did is a betrayal of the trust given to her by the Filipino people. It is only right that she be removed from her position and be barred from holding any public office,” he added.

Senatorial candidate Liza Maza also weighed in, condemning Duterte’s handling of government funds. “The impeachment complaint we are filing today sends a strong message that it is time to stop the squandering of taxpayer money,” Maza said.

Satur Ocampo, a former lawmaker, criticized the lack of consequences for high-ranking officials like Duterte compared to ordinary government workers. He also said that public office is a public trust, and “at this time of the year, government workers are asking for a pay increase, not more corruption.”

Rights group Karapatan is also pushing for Duterte’s impeachment. “By these egregious acts, Sara Duterte has unequivocally betrayed the public trust and must be impeached, made to stand trial and removed from office,” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay said.

Journalists face NBI

Three journalists appeared before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Cybercrime Division on Wednesday in connection with its probe into the Vice President’s ‘kill’ remarks during a late-night press conference on Nov. 23.

The reporters from The Manila Times, Rappler and Philippine Daily Inquirer, all assigned to cover the Office of the Vice President, were summoned to provide statements about the events before and during Duterte’s press briefing.

The NBI said the reporters’ statements were necessary to gather more information regarding the press conference. However, the agency gave assurance that the investigation is focused on verifying the sequence of events and statements made by Duterte.

The Vice President, initially scheduled to appear before the NBI for questioning, has been rescheduled to testify on Dec. 11.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) expressed concern over the subpoenas issued to the journalists, calling them “unnecessary” and warning that this could put reporters at risk.

The NUJP also raised concerns about the potential implications of the subpoenas, particularly in light of hostility toward the media from some of Duterte’s supporters.

Anti ‘kill threat’ bill filed

Assistant House majority leader Jude Acidre yesterday filed a bill that would penalize persons who would induce hitmen to kill a person they despise, just like what Vice President Duterte did recently.

Acidre authored House Bill 11166 (Anti-Solicitation to Murder Act) defining “solicitation to murder as the act of urging, encouraging or inducing another person to commit murder, whether directly or indirectly, with or without compensation or reward.”

The Tingog party-list congressman said he filed the measure “in response to Duterte’s shocking admission of arranging an assassination plot targeting Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and Speaker Romualdez.”

The official underscored the urgency of introducing measures to address incitement to violence.

Acidre, chairman of the House committee on overseas workers affairs, emphasized that the bill seeks to “penalize solicitation regardless of whether the solicited crime is carried out.”

He said this was borne out of Duterte’s “no joke” remarks, made twice, about killing Marcos. – Jose Rodel Clapano, Delon Porcalla, Mark Ernest Villeza, Emmanuel Tupas