President Bongbong Marcos (LEFT) and Vice President Sara Duterte
鈥斺�擬ARIANNE BERMUDEZ
/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE/INQUIRER FILES
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday denied involvement in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte at the House of Representatives, emphasizing that the executive branch has no role in the process.
鈥淣o. The executive cannot have a hand in the impeachment. Walang role ng executive sa impeachment,鈥� Marcos said in a Palace briefing if he played a part in Duterte鈥檚 impeachment.
READ: VP Sara Duterte impeachment complaint reaches Senate
鈥淒id we discuss it with the [House] Speaker? Did we discuss it with the other congressmen? Of course. And they ask, what is your plan? What do you really want to do? And this鈥� it鈥檚 already here. We can no longer avoid it,鈥� he said partly in Filipino.
The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on Wednesday after 215 lawmakers signed and endorsed the fourth impeachment complaint against her.
Presidential son and Ilocos Norte 1st district Rep. Sandro Marcos was the first to affix his signature, while House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez was the last to sign.
Issues cited in the fourth impeachment complaint were the following:
- Betrayal of public trust, commission of high crimes due to her threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez
- Betrayal of public trust and graft and corruption due to misuse of CFs within the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Office of the Vice President (OVP)
- Betrayal of public trust and bribery within the DepEd
- Violation of the 1987 Constitution and betrayal of public trust due to unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets
- Commission of high crimes, due to involvement in extrajudicial killings in the drug war
- Betrayal of public trust due to alleged destabilization plots and high crimes of sedition and insurrection
- Betrayal of acts due to her unbecoming conduct as Vice President