Pres. Bongbong Marcos Reiterates Having No Role in VP Sara Duterte Impeachment Case
BONGBONG MARCOS – The President denied making an order to his allies in the Congress on what to do over Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case.
According to presidential sister and Senator Imee Marcos, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte “thanked God” over the Senate archiving the impeachment case against her. Nineteen (19) senators voted in favor of the changed motion of Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chairman Rodante Marcoleta to archive the impeachment case.
Initially, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta who is a known ally of the Dutertes moved to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. However, Senate Minority Leader Tito Sotto moved to table his motion. The former Senate President stressed that there is a pending Motion for Reconsideration filed before the Supreme Court over its ruling.
The senators voted on Sotto’s motion to table Marcoleta’s motion but it lost with only five (5) votes. The Senate proceeded to voting on the motion of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman but it was moved from the dismissal to the archiving of the impeachment case.
YES
- Alan Peter Cayetano
- Pia Cayetano
- Ronald Dela Rosa
- JV Ejercito
- Francis Escudero
- Jinggoy Estrada
- Sherwin Gatchalian
- Bong Go
- Lito Lapid
- Loren Legarda
- Rodante Marcoleta
- Imee Marcos
- Robinhood Padilla
- Erwin Tulfo
- Raffy Tulfo
- Joel Villanueva
- Camille Villar
- Mark Villar
- Juan Miguel Zubiri
NO
- Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV
- Risa Hontiveros
- Francis Pangilinan
- Vicente “Tito” Sotto III
ABSTAIN
- Panfilo “Ping” Lacson
Most of the senators who voted in favor of archiving the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte cited the ruling of the Supreme Court. Prior to the opening of the 20th Congress, the high court declared the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President as “unconstitutional”.
However, according to Pres. Bongbong Marcos, the Supreme Court ruling allegedly does not determine the rightness or wrongness of the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. He stressed that the decision is allegedly based on the procedure.
Based on a report on Inquirer, Marcos Jr. further claimed that the Supreme Court ruling allegedly has no bearing on the merits of the impeachment case. He believes that the Philippines should still “try to get some answers”.
Pres. Bongbong Marcos reiterated his claim that he has no role in the impeachment moves against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. He admitted that he has allies in the Congress who are asking him, but, according to him, he never ordered any of them on what to do with the impeachment case.
“Siyempre may nagtatanong… Sorry, problema ninyo yan. Hindi ako nanghihiram ng problema. That’s your problem,” Marcos Jr said.
Furthermore, Pres. Bongbong Marcos also stressed that it will be “highly improper” for him to tell his friends in the Senate or in the House of Representatives what to do with the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. He stressed that he, too, might be impeached if he will do it.
“Highly improper yun. Pati ako mai-impeach kung gagawin ko yun. I keep telling you that the president has no role in this… I’m an impeachable officer so I can’t really involve myself in this,” the President said.
Several Duterte ally senators voted in favor of the archiving of the impeachment case against the Vice President. While he said “yes” to the motion to archive the impeachment case, Senator Robin Padilla admitted that he really wants the dismissal of the impeachment case against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. He was one of those who ditched the 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of the President along with other Duterte bloc member senators Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa, and the presidential sister herself, Sen. Imee Marcos.