Kimberly Capuyan

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said on November 29 that he doesn't support the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte as it would be a waste of time.

Photo Courtesy of Bombo Radyo/GMA Network.

“What will happen if somebody files an impeachment? It will tie down the House, it will tie down the Senate. It will just take up all our time, and for what? For nothing, for nothing. None of this will help improve a single Filipino life,” Marcos told reporters in a chance interview.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a storm in a teacup,” he added.

Marcos also reiterated that the denunciation of Sara from her post as the second highest official would “not make any difference to even one single Filipino life.”

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) chairman Teodoro Casiño protested that holding accountable government officials accused of corruption is “never a waste of time and resources.”

“While we do not expect the President to intervene in the impeachment of Vice President Duterte, it is improper for him to dismiss efforts to hold her accountable through this process. In fact, not doing so is a betrayal of the public interest and the people’s trust,” Casiño said in a statement.

Duterte previously threatened an assassination of Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez if she were to be killed.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) issued a subpoena against Duterte in response to her alleged grave threats against the president’s life.

However, Duterte did not show up at the NBI on November 29 and requested to reset the date of her appearance tentatively to December 11, according to NBI Director Jaime Santiago.

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Samuel Martires said that there are no valid grounds to investigate Duterte for her alleged threat to assassinate Marcos or for her alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds.

“If we find that the grave threat is committed in relation to office and this grave threat is done in relation to the performance of her duties as Vice President [then we can investigate]. If not, that will be personal and we have no jurisdiction over these sort things,” Martires said.

Martires mentioned that the ombudsman can take over both the NBI and the House committee’s investigations.

“If we feel that we have jurisdiction over these cases we can request Congress to please stop and we will take over the investigation of the case. We can do that but as a matter of courtesy, you know, we belong to different departments, branches of government, as a matter of courtesy, we’ll tell Congress,” he said.

Martires also cited that it has the power “to investigate and prosecute on its own or on complaint by any person, any act or omission of any public officer or employee, office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient.”

Marites was appointed by Sara Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, as ombudsman in July 2018.