President Marcos Blocks Impeachment of Sara Duterte
Former and current lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc argue that President Marcos is blocking the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte because he fears facing a similar fate himself. Both ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro and former Gabriela Women’s Party representative Liza Maza believe the President’s reluctance stems from concerns about possible retaliation from Duterte and her allies.
“Makikita natin, umpisa palang na pinag-uusapan ang impeachment, meron syang ginagawang pagpipigil sa mga miyembro ng House. Kaya baka takot din sya na mangyari sa kanya yung impeachment (We can see from the very start, since there just talks about an impending complaint, that he was trying to prevent it from happening. So maybe he’s afraid that an impeachment would also happen to him),” Castro said on June 3.
Fear of Retaliation and Hidden Anomalies
Maza added that the President might be worried that if the impeachment proceeds and proves the Vice President’s wrongdoing, Duterte could seek revenge. “Siguro nakikita nya na pag nag-proceed ito at napatunayan na may anomalya nga, may criminal liability si Vice President Sara Duterte, eh baka sa susunod sya naman ang ma-resbakan dahil alam din naman natin na napakalaki ang confidential funds ng pangulo (Maybe Marcos sees that if it pushes through, and if there are really anomalies, and the Vice President has criminal liability, he will be the next one to be impeached as part of Duterte’s revenge because he also has big confidential funds),” she explained.
According to Maza, President Marcos has the power to support the impeachment but chooses not to. “Actually pwede pa nga sabihin nya na ipush ang impeachment… Pero ngayon napakalinaw din na takot na takot si Presidente Marcos sa kahihinatnan ng impeachment na ito (He could actually say that the impeachment must be pushed… but it’s very clear now that he is really afraid of the outcome of the impeachment),” she said.
Concerns About Presidential Meddling
Meanwhile, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel pointed out that it is President Marcos who is actively obstructing the impeachment process. “The sitting president sends signals to indicate that he is against the impeachment process. Bakit ba siya nagme-meddle dito? Dahil ba may mga isyu din siya na ayaw niya maungkat? (Why is he meddling here? Is it because there are issues he does not want to be unearthed?)” Manuel questioned.
These statements from various lawmakers reflect a deep concern over the President’s motives and the potential consequences of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte. The issue highlights the tense political atmosphere and fears of political retribution within the Philippine government.
For more news and updates on impeachment proceedings, visit Filipinokami.com.