House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos said Monday he may no longer support a fresh impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, stressing the need for neutrality in his current role and deferring to the stance of Malacañang.
“If the stance of Malacañang is hands off, then I will have to be hands off as well,” Marcos told reporters ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address.
Marcos, who previously signed the first impeachment complaint against Duterte in February, acknowledged that his position has changed since taking on the role of Majority Leader. “I wasn’t Majority Leader then. I’m the Majority Leader now,” he said, explaining that his responsibilities now require a “more balanced view.”
The first impeachment complaint came after Duterte threatened to exhume the remains of the late President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. from the Libingan ng mga Bayani—a move that sparked sharp reactions from the Marcos camp.
Now, however, Sandro says any actions he takes must avoid creating the perception of presidential interference. “If my position as Majority Leader will somehow get people to think that the President is involved, I will be forced to recuse myself,” he said. “Given who I am and my position, if the President gets dragged or his name gets dragged, then I will have no choice but to recuse myself.”
The younger Marcos’ shift in tone adds to the evolving dynamics between the President’s camp and Duterte amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
