Palace: Sara Duterte impeachment trial beyond President Marcos' reach
The impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is beyond the reach of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Friday.
'Maliwanag po ang sinabi ng Pangulo na sa simula po ay ayaw niya talaga po ng impeachment dahil maaaring mayroon pong ibang mga legal na pamamaraan para mapanagot ang dapat mapanagot. Pero ngayon po, ang Bise Presidente po ay impeached na, wala na po sa Pangulo ito,' Castro said during a Palace press briefing.
(What the President said is clear from the very start. He does not favor impeachment because there may be other legal remedies to hold public officials accountable. But now that the Vice President is already impeached, this is out of the President's hands.)
Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on February 5, with over 200 congressmen endorsing the complaint against her. She was accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly over alleged misuse of around P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and threatening to kill Marcos, First Lady Liza, and the President's cousin and Speaker, Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez.
'Iyon naman po ay kaniyang suggestion lang, kung maaari ay ayaw niya ng impeachment. Ang sabi po ng Pangulo, proseso,' Castro added.
(What the President said is a mere suggestion. But he favors due process.)
Further, Castro said that the President does not have the authority over any impeachment proceeding.
'The impeachment trial is not the business of the Executive. Hindi po makikialam ang Pangulo patungkol po diyan, pero sinabi po niya na dapat umandar ang proseso, irespeto ang due process,' Castro said.
(The President won't meddle with the impeachment process, but the President also said the process should be followed, with respect to due process.)
'So, ito po ay nasa kamay na ng mga prosecutors, nasa kamay na po ng Senado. 'Pag sinabi po nating proseso, dapat sundin ang batas,' she added.
(The impeachment is in the hands of the prosecutors and the Senate. And when we say process, law should be followed.)
Castro also said the ultimate judge of the public officials' performance, whether it is the Vice President, senators or the House prosecutors, is the people.
'Ang taumbayan na po ang titingin at maghuhusga sa mga taong nasa loob or maaaring gumalaw para sa impeachment trial. Ang mga prosecutors dapat gampanan ang kanilang trabaho bilang prosecutors; ang mga senador bilang judges ay dapat ding gampanan ang kanilang trabaho bilang senators-judges. Proseso po ang nais ng Pangulo,' Castro said.
(The public will be the one to judge those involved in the impeachment trial. The prosecutors should do their job as prosecutors, the senators should do their job as senator-judges. At the end of the day, what the President wants is due process.)
The Vice President, for her part, said she is looking forward to her impeachment trial in the upcoming 20th Congress because she 'wants a bloodbath." —AOL, GMA Integrated News
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
3 hours ago
- GMA Network
Imee: Just accept that VP Sara impeachment has already failed
Reelected Senator Imee Marcos said that the bid to remove Vice President Sara Duterte via impeachment has already failed, amid the postponement of proceedings in the Senate. The reading at the Senate of the articles of impeachment by the House of Representatives prosecution panel against Duterte was initially scheduled for June 2, but was moved to June 11 with the 19th Congress set to adjourn sine die on June 14, with Senate President Francis 'Chiz' Escudero citing the need to prioritize the passage of items in the administration's legislative agenda. 'Para sa akin, 'yan ang importante, makatulong sa tao at tigilan na ang pangunguna ng pampulitikang impeachment na 'yan,' Marcos said in Mav Gonzales's report on GMA's '24 Oras Weekend' on Sunday. 'Pero sa kabilang inuurong nang inuurong 'yung impeachment?...Tanggapin niyo na, talo na ang impeachment. 'Yun lang 'yun. Kahit ngayon, kahit sa Hulyo pa, talo na,' she added. (For me, that is what is important, to help people and stop prioritizing this political impeachment. On the other hand, why is the impeachment being moved again and again? Just accept that the impeachment has lost. That is it. Whether now or in July, it has already lost.) Another Duterte ally, incoming Senator Rodante Marcoleta also said that the trial will not succeed in unseating her. 'Lintik lang ang walang ganti. Humanda sila. Ayaw niyong tumigil, kurbahan natin,' he said in the same report. 'They would not be able to remove the Vice President. Itaga mo sa bato 'yan, itaga niyo sa bato 'yan, walang mangyayari. The Vice President will stay as Vice President,' he added. (There will be revenge. The should prepare themselves. If you don't want to stop, let us curve them. They would not be able to remove the Vice President. Set that in stone, nothing will happen. The Vice President will stay as Vice President.) Marcos and Marcoleta will both be senator-judges at the impeachment trial. 'Forthwith' For his part, outgoing Senate Minority leader Aquilino 'Koko' Pimentel III said he is dismayed with the change in the Senate calendar. 'Nung February 2025, nagpalabas na ng impeachment calendar si SP [Senate President]. Diba dinebate natin dati 'yun na 'forthwith.' Dapat nga hindi mo na hinintay ang June 2 pero siya na ang nasunod kasi lumipas na ang panahon,' he said. (In February, SP already released a calendar. We also debated the term 'forthwith.' He should not have waited for June 2 but he was followed as time passed.) For his part, attorney and constitutional law expert Domingo Cayosa said it seems as though Senate is dribbling the impeachment. 'Even if you look at the rules of the Senate itself, malinaw naman na kapag may [it is clear that if there is an] impeachment, it takes precedence over the ordinary legislative work,' he said. 'It's not fair to the accused, it's not fair to the prosecutors, it is not fair to the Filipino people,' he added. GMA Integrated News has reached out to Escudero for comment on the matter, but he said he will release a statement on Monday, June 2. According to House Assistant Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Representative Jude Acidre, he is optimistic that the impeachment trial will still push through, if not in 19th Congress then in the 20th, as seen in the United States where the impeachment trial process of the Philippines has pas been patterned. 'Pinakilala dun si President Bill Clinton. Na-impeach sa isang Kongreso at nagkaroon ng trial sa kabilang Kongreso. Gusto ko na lang panghawakan 'yung sinabi ni Senator Jinggoy Estrada na gagampanan ng Senado ang kanilang Constitutional duty na talakayin ang impeachment,' he said in a separate report by Jonathan Andal. (Most known is that of President Bill Clinton. He was impeached in one Congress and the trial was held in another. I trust what Senator Jinggoy Estrada said that the Senate will perform its Constitutional duty to take up the impeachment.) Acidre also called Duterte's remarks—likening her impeachment trial to a crucifixion—as drama. 'Hindi kailangan ng drama dito [There is no drama needed here]. We don't even have to resort to language such as that,' he said. 'Kung naniniwala ang ating Bise Presidente at ang kaniyang mga kakampi na wala silang kasalanan, na wala silang pananagutan, harapin nila [If the Vice President and her allies believe that they are innocent, if they do not have liabilities, they should face it],' he added. Hearings earlier revealed that the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), also previously headed by Duterte, submitted documents with wrong dates, signatures without names of signatories, and unreadable names of signatories to justify the disbursement of its confidential funds in 2022 and 2023. A House panel in December found that there was no PSA record of 'Mary Grace Piattos,' whose signature appeared the most in acknowledgement receipts for confidential funds of office under Vice President Sara Duterte. The House panel earlier offered a P1-million reward for any information on the individual. Duterte, for her part, earlier said she has not seen the acknowledgement receipts from confidential funds supposedly signed by 'Mary Grace Piattos.' Another article of impeachment against Duterte is her stating that she had contracted a killer to assassinate erstwhile ally President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. if she is killed. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
De Lima: Resked of impeach raps reading meant to 'kill' Sara trial
Incoming ML Partylist representative Leila de Lima raised alarm Friday over the Senate's decision to move the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte from June 2 to June 11, calling it a potential strategy to derail the process. "Isa 'yan sa mga senyales na sa tingin ko, may nangyayari. Sa tingin ko, mayroon nang ganyang usapan—na kino-consider na nila 'yan to kill the impeachment trial," said De Lima, who is set to join the House impeachment prosecution panel. (I think that's one of the signs that something's happening. I think with these discussions, they are considering to kill the impeachment trial.) De Lima aired her concern at the Agenda at the Club Filipino news forum, warning that by the time June 11 arrives, the Senate might simply vote not to proceed with the trial. "Ang nai-imagine ko na, na come June 11, sasabihin na naman nila, 'Okay, hindi na puwede. Let's put it to a vote.' Hindi tayo makakasiguro na majority of them will say, 'Okay, let's proceed,'" she said. "I can only foresee na on that last day, sasabihin na lang nila na hindi na puwede." (I would imagine that come June 11, they'll say, 'Okay, we can't do it anymore. Let's put it to a vote.' We can't be assured that majority of them will say, 'Okay, let's proceed.') Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero earlier informed the House of Representatives that the presentation of the Articles of Impeachment has been reset to June 11, just three days before Congress adjourns sine die on June 14. In a letter to House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Escudero said both chambers needed to prioritize legislation under the administration's agenda, and address over 200 presidential appointments still pending confirmation by the Commission on Appointments. "With only six session days before the sine die adjournment, it is imperative for the Senate and the House of Representatives to prioritize the passage of these measures," Escudero said. GMA Integrated News has requested comment from Escudero regarding De Lima's statements, but he has yet to respond as of posting time. Meanwhile, De Lima also suggested that President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s public remarks distancing himself from the issue may have influenced the Senate's handling of the timeline. "Sa mga public statements na 'yon, may epekto rin 'yan sa dilly-dally [ng impeachment] (Those statements have an effect on the dillying-dallying of the impeachment process)," she said. Malacañang said Friday the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte is beyond the reach of Marcos. The President has previously said that he was not in favor of the impeachment trial as it would take away Congress' focus from the passage of critical pieces of legislation. De Lima questioned the repeated delays, noting that even in the House, the initial transmission of the articles was held off due to budget deliberations. "I'm also questioning that—kasi ilang beses na ba namo-move (because it's been moved repeatedly)?" she said. "Hindi agad pinadala noon kasi ang excuse nila is budget hearing. Prioritized ang budget hearing bago kinonsider ang mga complaint." (Back then, it wasn't transmitted right away because their excuse was that there were budget hearings. However, budget hearings are prioritized before complaints are considered.) De Lima argued that the Senate should have acted on the impeachment trial as soon as the House voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, and transmitted the complaint last February. "That term 'shall forthwith' is there in the Constitution—nilabag na agad 'yon eh at that point (it was violated right away at that point)," she said, referring to the constitutional requirement that the Senate must proceed with the trial immediately after receiving the Articles of Impeachment. Also on Friday, Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel said he would ask Escudero about his decision to move the presentation of articles, noting that the later had issued an "impeachment calendar" months ago. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
Remulla doesn't believe Teves wanted to return to PH
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday said he does not believe that former Negros Oriental representative Arnolfo 'Arnie' Teves Jr. wanted to resolve the charges against him in the Philippines while he was in Timor-Leste. Teves, the alleged mastermind in the killing of Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, is back in the Philippines after being deported by authorities in Timor-Leste. 'Hindi, ayaw niya lang talaga umuwi,' Remulla said in an ambush interview. (No, he just didn't want to return.) 'In fact, if you analyze everything that happened, nung nangyari 'yan he was abroad. But if he really was innocent, he would have come home. Pwede naman siya umuwi eh, pero hindi siya umuwi, di ba?' he added. (In fact, if you analyze everything that happened, when that happened he was abroad. But if he really was innocent, he would have come home. He could have returned, but he didn't, right?) While being read his Miranda rights during his flight, Teves said that he had no problem with returning to the Philippines as long as it was done right. In an earlier briefing, he also said that while he was in Timor-Leste, he thought that the cases against him must be resolved. 'At least ma-ano na din, matapos na rin. Kahit nung nandoon ako [sa Timor-Leste], iniisip ko kung hindi man ako umuwi. Haharapin— kailangan din ito matapos eh,' Teves said earlier. (At least it will finally be over. Even when I was in Timor-Leste, I was already thinking that even if I didn't return, this still had to be faced and resolved.) Teves was supposedly seeking treatment in the United States during the shooting Degamo and others on March 4, 2023 in Pamplona, Negros Oriental. Instead of returning to the country, Remulla said Teves visited ASEAN countries before settling in Timor-Leste. 'So what gives? Di ba flight is an indication of guilt,' Remulla said. When sought for comment, Topacio declined to comment, saying that Teves never said he wanted to return to the country. In an earlier briefing, Teves reiterated that he was concerned for his life when asked why he stayed in Timor-Leste if he knew that he needed to face the charges against him. The former lawmaker is facing multiple murder charges over the killing of Degamo and nine others on March 4, 2023 at the Degamo residence in Pamplona, Negros Oriental. Teves and others have also been charged with the alleged killings of three individuals in Negros Oriental in 2019. He and 12 others have also been designated as terrorists by the Anti-Terrorism Council, citing several alleged killings and harassment in Negros Oriental. He was expelled by the House of Representatives in August last year for disorderly conduct and continued absence. —AOL, GMA Integrated News
