President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reiterated that he will not intervene or comment on the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, stressing that it is a matter solely for Congress and the Senate to address.
In the second installment of his podcast aired Saturday, Marcos was asked to weigh in on claims that personal or political motives are behind the delays in Duterte’s impeachment proceedings.
“All impeachment processes are in the legislature. It’s between Congress and the Senate,” Marcos said in an Inquirer.net report. He emphasized that the matter is not within his jurisdiction, adding, “I’m busy with the transport, with the rice, with all of the different things that we are doing that consume my time.”
Marcos also brushed off insinuations that he has a hidden hand in the decisions being made in Congress. “Maybe if a president chooses to do that; I choose not to,” he said plainly.
This isn’t the first time the President addressed speculation surrounding his stance on the matter. In a statement on May 27, he clarified, “I didn’t want the impeachment. My allies didn’t file the complaint. And I could not order or tell those who filed the complaint what they should do.”
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with 215 lawmakers backing the complaint. The charges include allegations of graft, betrayal of public trust, and violations of the Constitution.
While the Senate began proceedings on June 10, the trial hit a roadblock after Senator Alan Peter Cayetano filed a motion to return the articles of impeachment to the House, citing concerns over jurisdiction and constitutional procedures. Eighteen senators voted in favor of the motion, effectively sending the articles back to the lower chamber.
