IN. P. Duterte is unimportant; impeaching rap is a waste of time

President Marcos has urged his allies in Congress not to waste time impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte, saying she is “irrelevant” and the move will simply collapse Congress and not benefit any Filipino.

During a visit to Lucena City on Friday, Mr. Marcos confirmed to reporters that he had indeed sent a text message asking his ally not to proceed with any plans to impeach the country’s second-highest official.

“It was actually a private communication, but since it got leaked, yes. Because this is really my opinion,” he said. “It’s not important. It doesn’t even matter one Filipino life. So why waste time on it?”

READ: Marcos says he has ordered the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte to be stopped

“Sarah is unimportant”

A screenshot of the message, which did not reveal the recipient, went viral on social media on Thursday.

The article continues after this advertisement

The text message read: “In the bigger scheme of things Sarah is unimportant. Therefore, please do not file an impeachment complaint. It will only distract us from the real work of governance, which is to improve the lot of all Filipinos.”

The article continues after this advertisement

The text message came days after Duterte erupted in boos and abusive tirades against the Marcos administration early last Saturday when it stopped the transfer of its chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, to a women’s correctional facility from her House cell, where she was convicted of contempt of court. court

It was during her tirades that she revealed that she had arranged for the assassination of Mr. Marcos, First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez, the president’s cousin, if the alleged plot to kill her succeeded.

Estrada answers the call

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada echoed the president’s call, saying the country is already facing challenges that “need to be addressed not only by the two top officials, but also by us as lawmakers.”

“Impeachment is a political process, not a judicial one,” said Estrada, whose father, former President Joseph Estrada, was impeached in 2000 on corruption charges and forced to resign as he was tried in the Senate.

He said impeachment would “sow discord” and distract lawmakers from pressing issues they must address.

According to the Constitution, it is the Chamber that decides whether to impeach an impeachable official, including the President and Vice President. However, it is the Senate that conducts the impeachment trial to determine whether an official should be removed from office.

Senior Deputy Speaker and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzalez, Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. David Suarez and Majority Leader and Zamboanga Rep. Manuel Dalipe said in a joint statement Friday that impeachment is “not on our agenda.”

However, the House of Representatives “has a constitutional duty to act on impeachment complaints filed by ordinary citizens against impeachable officials,” they said.

The leaders of the three Houses of Representatives said that if an impeachment complaint was properly filed, the House had a “duty to deal with it fairly and transparently” to ensure that the proceedings followed the “highest standards of fairness.”

The numbers game

“Let’s work together to ensure that government remains focused on what really matters — delivering results and improving the lives of our people — while fulfilling all constitutional mandates with integrity and impartiality,” they said.

Zambales Rep. Jay Honghun said individual lawmakers have the right to file or support any impeachment complaint.

“But to say that we have advice or orders from the leadership of the House of Representatives, that was absolutely not discussed and the speaker said nothing,” he said. “However (if there is a complaint) it will be taken as normal.”

Honghun pointed to a crucial element in the process — whether “the complaint is in numbers” — meaning how many of the 300 members of the House of Representatives will vote to support it.

“We’ll cross the bridge when we get there,” he said.

According to the Constitution, after the Judiciary Committee finds that the impeachment complaint has passed the necessary form and substance, it will be presented to all members of the House. Two-thirds of the House of Representatives is required to impeach an official before a trial in the Senate.

Mr. Marcos sees no merit in any impeachment complaint, saying it would “bind” both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“And for what?”

“It’s just going to take up all of our time, and for what? For nothing, for nothing. None of this will improve the lives of any Filipino. To me, this is a storm in a teacup,” Mr. Marcos told reporters.

However, the president said earlier this week that he would fight the conspiracy against him, his wife and the speaker.

Malacañang called Duterte’s statement an “active threat.” The Presidential Security Service has stepped up security for Mr. Marcos and his family.

The National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced they would investigate Duterte’s “remarks.” (See related story on page A2)

The Justice Department said Duterte could be held liable for grave threats, sedition, conspiracy to commit murder and disbarment.

Cracks in the alliance between Marcos and Duterte began to appear last year after the pro-Marcos House of Representatives voted to eliminate the trust funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which she headed.

Fund verification

The rift was formalized when Duterte resigned as education secretary in June as several House committees launched investigations into foreign gaming and the war on drugs, controversial programs during the previous administration of her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Her alleged misappropriation of P612.5 million in confidential OVP and DepEd funds also came under scrutiny.

During her speech on Saturday, the vice president called Marcos, his wife and Romualdez liars and thieves for their alleged abuse of power. She said the first lady ordered controversial payments to officials at the Department of the Economy.

Asked if he had “reached the point of no return” in his rift with Duterte, Mr Marcos told reporters: “Never say never.”

Separation of powers

The president’s call against impeachment was rejected by the Makabayan minority bloc in the House of Representatives, saying it was a clear violation of the separation of powers between the two co-equal branches of government.

The bloc, composed of ACT Teacher Rep. Frans Castro, Cabataan Rep. Raul Manuel, and Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, condemned the “brazen attempt by the president to influence Congress” and the “improper interference of the executive branch” in legislative affairs.

“Such a step shows weak leadership. In the presence of corruption, death threats and clear disrespect for the House of Representatives, how does the president behave and stand?” said the group.

Ready to submit

Makabayan’s lawmakers said they were ready to file their own articles of impeachment “because that’s what the situation and what the public demands.”

They said Duterte should be held accountable for alleged irregularities in her use of confidential OVP and DepEd funds. “This is a discussion about transparency and accountability, and it’s independent of the request.”

“We urge our fellow lawmakers to uphold Congress’s constitutional duty to serve as checks and balances against potential abuses and corruption in government,” they added. “The Filipino people deserve accountability and transparency from all public servants, regardless of their position or political affiliation. No one should be above the law.”—WITH REPORTS BY MARLON RAMOS AND INQUIRER RESEARCH INQ