By Filane Mikee Cervantes
MANILA – Presidential son and Ilocos Norte Rep. Sandro Marcos on Friday defended his decision to be the first to sign the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, citing his constitutional duty and the severity of the allegations.
“Well, katulad po sa sinabi ng ating Pangulo ay nung nagpirmahan na sa impeachment complaint ay tinanong ko siya kung ano ba ang advice niya. And tama naman yung sinabi niya (As the President said, when the impeachment complaint was signed, I asked him what his advice was. And he was right when he said): ‘Do your duty as a congressman and uphold your oath to the Constitution that you swore to protect,'” Marcos said in an interview.
“It is my constitutional duty to go through the impeachment process as an elected representative.”
Marcos said his decision to sign the complaint was expected given the serious nature of the statements allegedly made by Duterte.
He was referring to Duterte’s remarks in a press conference in October 2024, where she said she imagined cutting off the head of the current President and threatened to exhume the remains of his grandfather, the late former President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. from the Libingan ng mga Bayani if criticisms against her continued.
One of the most damning accusations in the impeachment complaint also involves an alleged plot by Duterte to assassinate President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“Bakit naman nagugulat ang tao na pipirma ako diyan? (Why would people be surprised that I signed)? You know, these are statements that cannot be taken lightly, especially from someone in such a high position,” Rep. Marcos said.
“Of course, I’ll be the first one to sign. That should come as no surprise,” he added.
Marcos dismissed allegations that he led efforts to gather signatures for the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte.
“Katulad sa sinabi ng Pangulo (As the President said), I think people give me too much credit. I was given the opportunity to sign, and I did sign, but I did not spearhead any movement or try to convince anyone. I think they did that on their own volition,” he said.
He also refuted claims that money was involved in gathering the signatures, calling such accusations part of a “smear campaign.”
“No. I think that’s just part of the… fake news ng mga (spread by the) DDS [Duterte Diehard Supporters]. Parte po yan ng (That’s part of their) smear campaign nila, to discredit the movement. You can’t blame them.
Alam naman natin kung sinong amo nila (We all know who their boss is),” he said.
Meanwhile, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed Friday that 25 more lawmakers have submitted their verification forms as complainants, potentially increasing the number of signatories to at least 240, representing a supermajority of nearly 80 percent of the 306-member House of Representatives.
According to Velasco, these lawmakers were initially unable to be physically present for the verification process due to commitments abroad or in their respective districts.
Velasco said these 25 have since formalized their support for the impeachment case.
“The Senate has not yet convened so it will be up to them on what to do with these 25 members of the House of Representatives who have sent to us their verification,” Velasco said.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, for his part, emphasized the overwhelming mandate behind the impeachment complaint, calling it a clear expression of the will of the Filipino people.
“The impeachment process is not just a political procedure; it is the voice of the Filipino people speaking through their elected representatives,” Barbers said.
Barbers stressed that the support for impeachment was not a mere majority but a supermajority mandate that transcends political affiliations.
“Ang bawat pirma sa impeachment ay hindi lang boto ng isang kongresista, kundi boses ng milyon-milyong Pilipino na aming kinakatawan. Ang mensahe ng taumbayan ay malinaw: kailangan ang prosesong ito (Each signature for the impeachment is not just a mere vote from one lawmaker, but also represents the voice of millions of Filipinos that he/she represents. The message of the public is clear: we need this process),” Barbers said.
The impeachment process now moves to the Senate, where a trial will be conducted to determine Duterte’s culpability
President Marcos Jr. has denied any involvement in the impeachment proceedings but reiterated that his son was fulfilling his duty as a legislator.
“Sabi ko sa kanya (I told him), ‘The process has already begun. It’s your duty now to support the process. So, do your duty.’ That’s what I told him. ‘You are constitutionally mandated to support that process. You’re a congressman so do your duty.’ I didn’t know he’d be the first to sign,” the President said.
The President also expressed confidence that the ongoing political sitution would not affect the country’s economic momentum.
The seven Articles of Impeachment against Duterte include conspiracy to assassinate the First Couple and the House Speaker; malversation of confidential funds; bribery and corruption during her tenure as Education Secretary; unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets; and involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City. (PNA)
