Senator-elect Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Wednesday revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not support moves to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, citing private conversations during the recent midterm campaign.
“I will attest to the fact… he was really inclined not to support the impeachment,” Sotto said during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum, referring to talks with Marcos while campaigning under the administration-backed Alyansa Para Sa Bagong Pilipinas slate.
Sotto said the President had expressed concern that pushing through with the impeachment could harm the country’s economic stability. “He really means that he is not in favor of the impeachment process at this point,” he added.
The former Senate president, however, underscored the independence of the Senate, saying no administration has been able to dominate the upper chamber during his decades-long career. He cited past presidents—including Fidel Ramos and Benigno Aquino III—who made requests regarding Senate leadership that were ultimately not followed.
Discussing the timeline of the impeachment trial, Sotto raised a critical constitutional question: what happens if the Senate fails to conclude the proceedings before the 19th Congress adjourns on June 30?
“That is a very good question, and I will not be surprised if somebody brings that up to the Supreme Court, because it is practically a justiciable issue,” he noted.
According to Sotto, there’s a legal gray area between Senate rules and the rules on impeachment. Senate rules state that all pending matters die with the sine die adjournment, while impeachment rules call for the process to continue until a final decision is reached.
With the clock ticking on the 19th Congress, the potential for a legal showdown looms—raising the prospect that the high court may have to intervene if no clear resolution is found.
