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Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of The Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024, after skipping on the same day a National Bureau of Investigation probe on her remarks of having President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated should she be killed. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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'Hindi naman konektado' Palace says impeachment decisions shouldn't depend on flood control probe outcome

Harlene Delgado

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1768384727696sara.png" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of The Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024, after skipping on the same day a National Bureau of Investigation probe on her remarks of having President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated should she be killed. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Palace on Wednesday said decisions on impeachment should not be dependent on the outcomes of the flood control probe.</p><p>This was in response to Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco, who reportedly said that he will not sign any impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, unless a &quot;big fish&quot; in the flood control scandal is arrested.</p><p>“Kung iyon ang kanyang opinyon, hindi natin puwedeng pigilan kung anuman ang opinyon ni Congressman Toby Tiangco. Kung dati nga po ay hindi siya pumirma sa nasabing impeachment complaint, dahil divisive o dahil magiging cause ng pagkakahati-hati at ngayon naman po ay iba na ang kanyang dahilan, ito daw ay dahil sa kung walang mapapakulong na big fish,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a Palace press briefing Wednesday, January 14.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/14/can-congress-tackle-possible-twin-impeachment-of-marcos-duterte-lawyers-weigh-in-1327">Can Congress tackle the possible impeachment of Marcos and Duterte? Lawyers weigh in</a></div><p>Castro argued that the issues on impeachment are entirely different from the anomalous flood control projects.</p><p>“Kung sa ordinaryong pananaw, hindi naman po konektado ang flood control mess sa impeachment complaint kung isasampa man ito kay Bise Presidente, iba po ang isyu ng kinapapalooban or kinakasangkutan ng Bise Presidente at iba naman po iyong flood control projects. At alam po naman natin na hanggang sa ngayon, ang Pangulo at ang administrasyon ay patuloy na nagta-trabaho upang mapanagot ang dapat na mapanagot,” Castro added.</p><p>“So, hindi po siguro dapat na kinukumpara or rather hindi kinukumpara kung ‘di hindi dapat ini-equate, hindi siya dapat depende ang anumang desisyon patungkol sa impeachment complaint, hindi siya depende sa outcome ng pag-iimbestiga sa flood control projects,” the Palace official noted.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/12/palace-defends-marcos-jr-s-pivot-from-hands-off-policy-on-duterte-s-impeachment-1505">Palace defends Marcos Jr.’s pivot from ‘hands-off’ policy on Duterte’s impeachment</a></div><p>Castro also maintained that Marcos Jr. has no jurisdiction over the House of Representatives as she responded to the reported statement of ACT Teachers Partylist Representative Antonio Tinio that the impeachment complaint against the vice president should have a &quot;go signal&quot; from the Palace for it to prosper.</p><p>“Kung anuman po ang tinatrabaho o ginagawa po sa House of Representatives hindi po iyan saklaw ng ating Pangulo  at maliwanag naman din po ang sinabi ng Pangulo, kung may magkakaroon   man po ng impeachment complaint o pagsasampa ng impeachment complaint laban sa Bise Presidente, ito ay dapat na ituring na parang flood control mess, na kung kinakailangan imbestigahan ng malaliman at dapat may managot, dapat na managot,” she stated.</p><p>“Alam po nating lahat na ang mga mambabatas ay binoto dahil sila po ay may puso, may talino at may konsensya, alam nila ang tama at mali. Alam nila na ang kanilang gagawing trabaho ay para sa taumbayan, hindi para sa iilan lamang,” Castro added, emphasizing that they leave the impeachment issue up to lawmakers.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/11/rep-duterte-warns-colleagues-vs-supporting-potential-vp-sara-impeachment-bid-1154">Rep. Duterte warns colleagues vs supporting potential VP Sara impeachment bid</a></div>

<p>This was in response to Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco who reportedly said that he will not sign any impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, unless a ‘big fish’ in the flood control scandal is arrested.</p>

This was in response to Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco who reportedly said that he will not sign any impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, unless a ‘big fish’ in the flood control scandal is arrested.

'Hindi naman konektado': Palace says impeachment decisions shouldn't depend on flood control probe outcome

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'Hindi naman konektado': Palace says impeachment decisions shouldn't depend on flood control probe outcome

Harlene Delgado,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 14, 2026 06:03 PM PHT

Read More:

Palace

Flood control

Claire Castro

Sara Duterte

Toby Tiangco

ICI

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