When the second highest official of the land misbehaves, what do authorities do about it?
Only the president is immune from suit while in office. Like the president, the vice president can be removed only by impeachment. But unlike the president, the VP does not enjoy immunity from investigation and prosecution.
People are watching the way the Marcos administration will handle the latest actions and rants of Vice President Sara Duterte, directed at President Marcos himself, First Lady Liza Marcos, Speaker Martin Romualdez and nearly all members of the House of Representatives who identify themselves with the super majority.
As some lawmakers have pointed out, people land in jail in this country simply for making bomb jokes at the airport or while on a plane. In the case of Duterte, she has claimed in a profanity-laced diatribe that she faces the threat of assassination by forces loyal to the Marcos-Duterte clan. If this happens, she said she had contracted someone to avenge her by assassinating the President, his wife and his first cousin the Speaker. This, Duterte stressed, is “no joke.”
Duterte, in a previous press conference, had also disclosed that she once wanted to decapitate Marcos for what she deemed to be his humiliation of a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy. She also warned that if the administration’s attacks against the Dutertes would not stop, she would personally dig up the remains of dictator Ferdinand Marcos from the Libingan ng mga Bayani and toss them into the West Philippine Sea. She said she gave the warning to the President’s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos.
Beyond words and wishful thinking, Duterte has actively intervened in proceedings at the House, preventing her aides from cooperating in a probe on the utilization of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education under her watch. When her chief of staff was detained for contempt, Duterte ignored House rules and stood guard at the Batasang Pambansa until the aide was moved to a hospital over health concerns as vague as those raised by accused sex offender Apollo Quiboloy.
Yesterday, Malacañang said the Department of Justice was investigating Duterte’s latest rant. “If the evidence warrants, this could lead to eventual prosecution,” the acting head of the Presidential Communications Office said.
No one is supposed to be above the law and institutional rules. If nothing is done about those who flout these, precedents will be set that could encourage others to follow suit.