By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio has urged members of the House of Representatives to respect President Ferdinand Marcos “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s decision regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into the war on drugs.

The War on Drugs was a program initiated by VP Sara Duterte’s father former President Rodrigo Duterte to combat the drug menace in the country when he assumed power back in 2016.

“In light of this unequivocal stance, we appeal to the House to honor the President’s position as the chief architect of our foreign policy,” Duterte-Carpio stated.

“The President has also affirmed that his standpoint is grounded in the fact that the ICC lost jurisdiction over the Philippines upon our withdrawal from the Rome Statute on March 17, 2019,” added the Vice President.

Duterte-Carpio, who also serves as Education Secretary, emphasized that Philippine courts should not be demeaned by allowing an international court to investigate the matter.

“Let us not insult and bring shame to our courts by projecting to the world that we believe only foreigners have the ability to dispense justice and uphold righteousness in our own nation,” she remarked.

A resolution filed on Tuesday by Representative Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. urges the Marcos government to cooperate with the ICC investigation.

In October, legislators from the Makabayan bloc, namely France Castro of the ACT Teachers party-list, Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela party-list, and Raoul Manuel of the Kabataan party-list, filed a similar resolution.

(ai/mnm)

By Liza Soriano

MANILA — Senator Imee Marcos on Wednesday said her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., and Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio maintain an amicable relationship.

“In my opinion, between my brother, myself, our president, and our vice president, I believe things are in order. The challenge lies in external disruptions,” she commented.

“The key figures—my brother, myself, VP Sara Duterte, and PRRD (former President Rodrigo Duterte)—I think are not problematic. It’s others who are causing disturbances. I don’t know,” Marcos added.

Addressing Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment allegations, the senator emphasized the need to prioritize other pressing issues in the country.

“I hope they have compassion for the Philippines,” Marcos expressed.

“We have numerous problems. Have mercy on the administration, have mercy on Filipinos struggling to afford sufficient food, and dealing with high costs, especially as Christmas approaches. Let’s be ashamed as Filipinos,” she added.

(ai/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has addressed the rumors surrounding the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, clarifying that he and his allies are not pursuing such actions.

Marcos dismissed the allegations, stating, “Lahat naman kami merong ganyan [‘yung impeachment rumors]. There will always be an element that will want to change the results of an election. Of course, binabantayan namin ng mabuti because we don’t want her to be impeached. She does not deserve to be impeached,” Marcos said.

He emphasized that the rumors are part of a broader trend of attempting to overturn election results based on personal preferences.

“It’s just a continuation of the thinking na, ‘Basta ayaw namin dyan, tanggalin natin.’ Wala naman sigurong dahilan kung hindi lang ayaw sa amin. That is not a reason to be impeached,” he continued.

Marcos also highlighted his amicable relationship with the Vice President, stating, “On a very personal level, we get along very well.” He acknowledged their differences but noted that they also share similarities in many aspects.

Earlier, House Speaker Martin Romualdez denied the impeachment rumors, stating, “I’m not aware of anything… nothing filed, no news of that.”

(ai/mnm)