Cheyenne Suarez

Members of an inter-agency coordinating committee conduct a walk through on July 15, 2024, as the House of Representatives prepares for the coming State Of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 22. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1732867569342Marcos-29112024.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Members of an inter-agency coordinating committee conduct a walk through on July 15, 2024, as the House of Representatives prepares for the coming State Of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 22. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Members of an inter-agency coordinating committee conduct a walk through on July 15, 2024, as the House of Representatives prepares for the coming State Of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 22. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s position against the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte shows there are no concerted efforts to go after her House leaders said Thursday.</p><p>They also said that the President’s preference cannot stop the House from acting on complaints that may be filed.</p><p>Marcos Jr. earlier Thursday said a supposedly leaked message from him advising against impeachment is authentic and is his sentiment on the issue.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/29/marcos-says-he-blocked-impeach-moves-vs-vp-sara-duterte-1058">READ: Marcos says row with VP Sara Duterte ‘a storm in a teacup’, tells lawmakers not to file impeachment raps</a></div><p>“As we have repeatedly pointed out in media interviews, impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte are not on our agenda,” House leaders, including Senior Deputy Majority Leader Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, said in a joint statement.</p><p>They said, however, that the House, a panel of which has been looking into how Duterte’s offices used confidential funds in 2022 and 2023  “is duty-bound to serve as a check and balance while safeguarding public trust.”</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/28/no-instructions-from-house-leaders-no-talk-on-vp-duterte-impeachment-lawmakers-1840">RELATED: No instructions from House leaders, no talk on VP Duterte impeachment — lawmakers</a></div><div><strong>&#x27;IMPEACHMENT NOT UP TO ONE PERSON&#x27;</strong></div><p>Speaking on Teleradyo Serbisyo, House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur said the President’s position contradicts Duterte’s assertion that the Marcos Jr. administration is out to get her.</p><p>“Ang desisyon ng impeachment ay hindi naman po ‘yan direktang masasabi ng isang tao, not even the President,” Adiong also said.</p><p>(The decision on impeachment cannot be dictated by just one person, not even the President)</p><p>He said that individuals like former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan have only talked about preparing impeachment complaints against Duterte.</p><p>House members can file impeachment complaints themselves or endorse one if they see merit in it. </p><p>An endorsed and verified impeachment complaint is referred to a committee, which will hold hearings and vote on whether or not to send it to the House in plenary for further deliberation and potential approval.</p><p>“Ang sinabi naman ng President is yung kanyang stand, yung personal stand that he doesn’t see anything good that would result from a possible impeachment trial,”  Adiong said.</p><p>House leaders said in their joint statement that “the House of Representatives has a constitutional duty to act on impeachment complaints filed by ordinary citizens against impeachable officials.”</p><p>They said the House has an obligation to deliberate on proper complaints “fairly and transparently, ensuring that the process adheres to the highest standards of justice.”</p><p>Aside from Gonzales, the statement was also attributed to Deputy Speaker David “Jay-Jay” Suarez of Quezon and House Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” Dalipe of Zamboanga City.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/23/activists-call-for-impeachment-of-vp-sara-duterte-1929">READ: Activists call for impeachment of VP Sara Duterte</a></div><div><strong>MAKABAYAN BLOC CALLS OUT INTERFERENCE</strong></div><p>Meanwhile,  members of the Makabayan bloc, which has three seats at the House, called out Marcos Jr. for what they said was trying to influence proceedings in Congress.</p><p>“The President&#x27;s public pronouncements against impeachment proceedings represent undue executive interference in legislative affairs,” they said.</p><p>“Congress, as a co-equal branch of government, must maintain its independence and exercise its constitutional mandate without pressure from Malacañang.”</p><p>The Makabayan lawmakers — ACT Teachers Party-List Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Party-List Rep. Arlene Brosas and Kabataan Party-List Rep. Raoul Manuel — said they are for potential impeachment proceedings, which they said are what the times and the public call for.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/24/dutertes-threats-could-lead-to-impeachment-disbarment-criminal-cases-1708">De Lima: Sara Duterte&#x27;s threats could lead to impeachment, disbarment, criminal cases</a></div><p>“Kailangan managot si VP Duterte sa usapin ng confidential funds at iba pang anomalya sa OVP at DepEd. Usapin ito ng transparency and accountability, hindi ito ipinapakiusap o dinidikta,&quot; they said.</p><p>(VP Duterte has to be held to account for the issue of confidential funds and other anomalies at the OVP and Department of Education. This is about transparency and accountability and not something that can be negotiated or dictated)</p><p>Duterte has repeatedly denied allegations of irregularities in the use of confidential funds, a contentious issue since deliberations on the 2024 national budget when confidential funds for the OVP and DepEd were <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/10/10/23/house-panel-moves-some-confidential-funds-to-publicly-auditable-items">realigned to agencies like the Philippine Coast Guard</a>.</p><p>She has also said that the House hearings are meant to benefit House Speaker Martin Romualdez, whom she said sees her as the biggest threat to his ambition to be president.</p><p>“We call on our fellow lawmakers to uphold Congress&#x27;s constitutional duty to serve as a check and balance against potential abuses and corruption in government,” the Bayan-affiliated Makabayan bloc said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/24/wrap-furor-over-vp-sara-dutertes-rant-risks-drowning-out-questions-on-confidential-funds-2050">RELATED: Furor over VP Sara Duterte’s rant risks drowning out questions </a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/24/wrap-furor-over-vp-sara-dutertes-rant-risks-drowning-out-questions-on-confidential-funds-2050">on confidential funds</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0z9QUhWsEUA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>“Ang desisyon ng impeachment ay hindi naman po ‘yan direktang masasabi ng isang tao, not even the President,” House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur said.</p>

“Ang desisyon ng impeachment ay hindi naman po ‘yan direktang masasabi ng isang tao, not even the President,” House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong of Lanao del Sur said.

House duty-bound to consider impeachment complaints filed despite Marcos Jr.'s stand

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House duty-bound to consider impeachment complaints filed despite Marcos Jr.'s stand

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 29, 2024 04:06 PM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Sara Duterte

House of Representatives

Impeachment

Confidential funds

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