MANILA (ANN/Philippine Daily Inquirer) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed on Friday that he had advised Congress not to pursue an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, describing the issue as unproductive and divisive.
Addressing reports of a leaked text message he allegedly sent to House leaders, Marcos said, “Yes, it’s true. That’s really my opinion. This is not important. It doesn’t impact even a single Filipino life. Why waste time on it?”
The president emphasised that an impeachment process would only hinder legislative progress. “It would tie down both the House of Representatives and the Senate. For what? It achieves nothing. None of this will help improve the lives of Filipinos,” he added.
Marcos described the political tensions between his administration and Duterte as “a storm in a teacup.” Despite running as a united ticket under the ‘UniTeam’ banner in the 2022 elections, relations between the president and vice president have deteriorated in recent months.
The conflict escalated after Duterte resigned from her position as education secretary in Marcos’ Cabinet. Tensions peaked when Duterte reportedly stated she had instructed someone to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were assassinated.
The president labeled her comments “alarming” and vowed to address the threat. Duterte defended her remarks, claiming they were taken out of context and were being used by critics to discredit her.
The controversy has prompted official investigations. The Department of Justice, through the National Bureau of Investigation, is probing Duterte for alleged grave threats and potential violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. She is also facing a disbarment complaint before the Supreme Court.
Despite these legal challenges, Duterte has dismissed the accusations, maintaining that the uproar around her comments is politically motivated.
