Robin Padilla. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robinhood Padilla on Monday committed to block impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte should it reach the Senate.

Padilla made the pronouncement as he attended the Iglesia ni Cristo’s “National Rally for Peace” at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.

“Definitely. Ngayon pa lang alam niyo na (early as now you can be certain of that),” said Padilla in an interview with reporters when asked if his participation in the rally is a giveaway that he will vote “no” once an impeachment complaint against Duterte reaches the Senate.

According to the senator, his views are in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive where he discouraged the filing of impeachment complaints against Duterte, as he does not see it as a priority.

“Hindi ito makatutulong sa ating bayan sa ngayon, napakaliwanag ng sinabi [ni President Marcos],” said Padilla.

(This will not help our country as of this moment, what the President said is very clear.)

Currently, three impeachment complaints against Duterte have already been filed before the House of Representatives over the alleged misuse of her office’s funds, as well as the Department of Education.

One of the impeachment complaints also cited Duterte’s supposed kill plot against Marcos, specifically, when she bared that she ordered someone to kill the President, his wife Liza and cousin Speaker Martin Romualdez should she herself be killed.