Marcos Jr. washes hands of VP impeachment

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday washed his hands of the historic impeachment of his running mate-turned-arch critic Vice President Sara Duterte, saying he cannot stop his allies in the legislature from performing their constitutional mandate and acting on the complaint.

Speaking to reporters at Malacañang, Marcos said he had discussed the impeachment of Duterte with lawmakers,
 but those who are claiming that he was behind it are giving him “too much credit.”

“The executive cannot have a hand in the impeachment. The executive has no role in the impeachment,” the President said.

“What the House has done is clearly within – is clearly the mandate that they have been – the Constitutional mandate that they have to proceed with the impeachment complaints... I think they are just following the procedure and they have transmitted the impeachment complaint to the upper house,” he added.

While Marcos had described the efforts to impeach the Vice President as a waste of time, 215 members of the administration-dominated House of Representatives signed the complaint against Duterte, allowing it to be sent to the Senate for trial.

Among the allegations against the Vice President are failure to properly account for the confidential funds granted to her office and conspiracy to assassinate Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

“From this point on, I’m just a very interested observer. But again, I don’t appear, I will not be part of it, not – there will be no representation from the executive. Why should there be?” Marcos said.

Marcos said he does not view the impeachment of Duterte as a defiance on the part of his House allies. He pointed out that the complaint against the Vice President was filed not by his allies in the chamber but by other groups.

“I am sure that the parties that filed the impeachment cases felt strongly about it. And despite my importunings and expressing my opinion that we really – we’d rather not have the impeachment, they continued to do that,” the Chief Executive said.

“So, it’s not defiance. That’s their belief. They believed they had to do it even if I said, ‘I hope you don’t.’ ‘We cannot let this pass’ – that’s their thinking. So they pursued it … They’re expressing what they feel to be right.”

Marcos’ son, Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos, was the first signatory among the 215 House members who endorsed the impeachment complaint. The President revealed that his son had consulted him about the matter.

“I told congressman Sandro, ‘The process has already begun.’ So, it’s your duty now to support that process. So, do your duty.’ That’s what I told him. Do your duty. You have to support the process. You are constitutionally mandated to carry out that process. And you’re a congressman, so do your duty... I didn’t know he’ll be the first to sign though,” the Chief Executive said.

Marcos noted that the House is a collegial body and as a member of the chamber, Sandro has to perform his duty, regardless of his opinions.

Changing stance?

During a media interview in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2023, Marcos said Duterte, who was still the education secretary then, does not deserve to be impeached. The Vice President resigned from the Marcos Cabinet last year.

Asked if he still holds the view given the recent developments, Marcos replied: “It doesn’t matter what I think. There will – it will have to go through with the procedure. It will go to trial. And we will have the senator-judges and they will hear the case. The prosecutors will come from the House. There will be a defense panel and it will be filed.”

“It doesn’t matter what I think at this point. That was my opinion. That’s my opinion when I was asked that, none of these had happened yet... I have to keep reminding you... The executive has no formal role. If ever there’s an informal role. I talk to the Speaker. I talk to congressmen. I talk to senators. I talk to SP (Senate President). But that’s about it,” he added.

Special session

Pressed if he would call a special session so the impeachment trial of Duterte could proceed, Marcos replied: “If the senators ask for it, yes.”

“Again, they are the ones who will decide... if the Senate President calls me up on the telephone, ‘the senators, I talked to the senators and asked them if they can conduct a special session?’ Sure. I will do it. But if they do not have such a request, that means they are doing other things. They are not yet ready,” he added.

Marcos said senators, who will act as judges during the impeachment trial, have not requested for a special session. The 19th Congress took a break last Wednesday to give way for the campaign period of the 2025 midterm elections. It will resume session on June 2 and adjourn on June 14.

President Marcos could call Congress for a special session to act on the impeachment complaints against Vice President Duterte, former Senate president Franklin Drilon said yesterday.

Drilon, a lawyer, said the Senate must formally include the impeachment complaint in its agenda and, as part of its “Reference of Business,” refer the case to the impeachment court before any proceedings can begin.

“Calling Congress to a special session to tackle the impeachment complaint is the sole prerogative of the President, which cannot be questioned, not even by the Supreme Court,” the legal expert explained.

The 19th Congress has successfully fought against the “forces of darkness” and “push for the interest of the people,” Speaker Romualdez said on Wednesday night.

In his closing statement as Congress went into recess, Romualdez said he is deeply honored and yet humbled to lead Congress during a transformative time.

“We pushed for the interest of the people. We fought against the forces of darkness. We did not retreat from disciple of evil,” Romualdez said, apparently referring to the House’s decision to impeach Vice President Duterte without naming her.– Cecille Suerte Felipe, Jose Rodel Clapano, Delon Porcalla