Daniela Adelaide Jaimeleen Sol Dizon

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gathered House of Representatives lawmakers for a scheduled “fellowship” on Wednesday amidst the ongoing impeachment charges against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Photo Courtesy of GMA Network/Reuters/Eloisa Lopez.

The meeting was held at the Malacañang Palace on the same day, where several groups filed a second impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte for alleged corruption on the government funds.

“This event is for close-in coverage only and was scheduled some time ago,” the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) stated. 

Despite the official characterization, the presence of vehicles bearing congressional protocol plates in the palace sparked speculation about the meeting’s connection to the impeachment cases against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Some of those members present were House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe. 

The PCO downplayed the connection; they made it clear that the meeting does not have any involvement in the ongoing event. 

Marcos announced in an on-air conversation last week that he had urged House members not to pursue an impeachment case against Duterte, arguing that it would not serve the best interests of the Filipino people. 

The president also emphasizes the long-term effect of the impeachment on our nation. 

“In the larger scheme of things, Sara is unimportant. So please do not file impeachment complaints,” he stated.

With only nine session days remaining before Congress adjourns for the holidays, Marcos reinforced the importance of pending bills of national significance over the impeachment proceedings.

The main issue of the impeachment case revolves around alleged misuse of P612 million in confidential funds and lack of transparency. 
“What Vice President Sara Duterte did is a betrayal of the trust given to her by the Filipino people,” Bayan chairman Teddy Casiño said.

He also added that removing the Vice President from her position is the right action due to the abuse of discretionary powers and Sara’s refusal to adhere to congressional oversight. 

As the impeachment process progresses, skepticism persists involving political relationships as well as the implications of the allegations against Duterte for the administration’s stability.