House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor of Iloilo said Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged admission that she spoke to someone willing to kill President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. could be considered an impeachable offense and a serious breach of public trust.
Defensor said the allegation has been raised in several impeachment complaints currently pending in the House of Representatives, and noted that it was also the same issue he cited when he signed an impeachment complaint against the Vice President last year.
“The very reason why I signed the impeachment complaint last year was because walang bise presidente ang nagsasabi na may kinausap na akong taong handang pumatay sa isang presidente,” Defensor said.
“That will always be an impeachable offense and a betrayal of public trust,” he added.
When asked if the Vice President should be impeached on that basis, Defensor answered: “On that ground, yes. Same ground.”
He stressed that such a standard should apply regardless of who holds the presidency, saying he would take the same stance even if Duterte herself were president.
“Kung manalo si Vice President Sara Duterte bilang presidente at sinabihan siya ng kanyang bise presidente na may kinausap din ako na taong handang pumatay sa kanya, I will sign the impeachment complaint again, kahit sinuman ’yan,” he said.
Defensor, who served as one of the House prosecutors in last year’s impeachment proceedings, said he would again carry out his role if he is selected to be part of the prosecution panel.
“Kung pipiliin ako bilang prosecutor, I will always do my constitutional duty,” he said.
However, the lawmaker emphasized that the impeachment complaints must still undergo the required constitutional process before any action can be taken in plenary.
“I can’t say. Right now, I can’t say. All I can say is it will be referred to the Committee on Justice for deliberation, for determination of sufficiency in form and sufficiency in substance, and that’s it for now,” he said when asked if he would support the complaint should it reach the House floor.
Under Article XI, Section 3 of the Constitution, the House of Representatives holds the exclusive authority to initiate all impeachment cases, with verified complaints required to be referred to the Committee on Justice once included in the Order of Business for evaluation of their sufficiency.
