Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday downplayed the possibility of an impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gaining traction in the House of Representatives, citing the chamber’s strong alignment with the administration.
Speaking to reporters during a campaign rally, Duterte said she does not expect lawmakers to “seriously” pursue the ouster bid expected to be filed by Duterte Youth chairman Ronald Cardema.
“We don’t expect that the House of Representatives will take it seriously because most of the members of the House of Representatives are allies of the President,” Duterte said. “Impeachment is a political exercise, it’s a game of numbers, so I don’t expect anything to happen to that impeachment complaint.”
Cardema, a known supporter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, is reportedly preparing to file the complaint next week after failing to submit it last week due to the House not being in session. The 24-page document alleges that Marcos Jr. committed a culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayed public trust by allowing the arrest of former President Duterte based on a warrant from the International Criminal Court.
The complaint argues that Duterte’s right to due process was violated when the Marcos administration authorized the arrest on March 11.
Vice President Duterte declined to comment on the substance of the complaint, stating she had not read the articles of impeachment. “I can’t comment because I wasn’t aware something like that happened,” she said. “I only found out about the impeachment after it was filed.”
Malacañang has since acknowledged Cardema’s right to pursue the complaint. However, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, a cousin of President Marcos, noted that the filing is currently on hold as Congress is out of session and the House Secretary General is attending a seminar.
The impeachment bid comes amid heightened political tension over the Duterte family’s response to the former president’s arrest and their strained ties with the current administration.
