By Celeste Tamayo
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio reiterated on Friday (Feb. 7, 2025) that she is still “seriously” considering running for a position in 2028, despite her impeachment.
“Wala pa tayo dyan… Nasabi ko naman na we are seriously considering, but it’s difficult to decide without the numbers, so kailangan malaman ‘yung surveys and numbers,” Duterte-Carpio said in a press conference.
Before the adjournment of the session, more than 200 members of the House of Representatives approved her impeachment.
The articles of impeachment were then transmitted to the Senate. However, the chamber was unable to act on them, as they were not endorsed to the plenary on Wednesday.
Duterte-Carpio, meanwhile, downplayed the impact of her impeachment, saying it is more painful to be left by a partner than to be removed from office.
“Mas masakit pa maiwan ng boyfriend o girlfriend kaysa ma-impeach ka ng House of Representatives,” the Vice President quipped.
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By Celeste Tamayo
MANILA — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. emphasized that the executive branch has no involvement in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“No, the executive cannot have a hand in the impeachment. Walang role ang executive sa impeachment,” he said.
The President further noted that Congress and the executive are independent of each other, adding that he “doesn’t give guidance to Congress.”
“They will decide how they will proceed. I don’t think you can expect a congressman, a senator, the SP, or the Speaker to come to me and ask, ‘Oh, what do you want us to do?’ They have their own way of doing things,” the Chief Executive stressed.
“I do not give guidance to Congress. Again, you give too much credit that I can tell congressmen to do this or that. I cannot. I do not give guidance to Congress. We are independent of each other.”
On Wednesday, the last day of the Congressional session, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte and transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
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MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday (06 Feb 2025) clarified that the executive branch has no involvement in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
“The executive cannot have a hand in the impeachment. Walang role ang executive sa impeachment,” Marcos stated during a press briefing at Malacañang.
He also emphasized that the House of Representatives and Senate must address the complaints after they were filed. “Once the impeachment complaints were filed, the House and the Senate, they have no choice. Nakatali na ang kamay nila (Their hands are tied). They have to do this,” he added.
Marcos noted that he would consider calling a special session if requested by the Senate.
On Wednesday, the House of Representatives voted to impeach Duterte, with 215 lawmakers endorsing the complaint to the Senate. However, the Senate has yet to address the issue, as it is currently on break.
The President also commented on his son, Sandro Marcos, Ilocos Norte representative, explaining that he advised his son to support the impeachment process and fulfill his duties as a lawmaker. “I told him, ‘the process has already begun. It’s your duty now to support the process,'” he said.
Despite the political developments, Marcos expressed confidence that the situation would not harm the country’s economic momentum.
The impeachment charges against VP Duterte include conspiracy to assassinate the First Couple and the House Speaker, malversation of confidential funds, bribery, corruption, unexplained wealth, and involvement in extrajudicial killings, among others.
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MANILA – Senate President Francis Escudero predicted Thursday (06 Feb 2025) that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte will become a central issue in the May 12 midterm elections. He emphasized that the case could shift the focus of the elections from personality-based politics to a more issue-driven process.
Escudero argued that the impeachment provides voters with a tangible issue to raise with candidates, especially for those running for Congress and Senate. He noted that the 20th Congress, elected in May, will ultimately decide the case, making it relevant for both candidates and voters.
However, Escudero cautioned candidates to remain neutral until all evidence is reviewed. He also discouraged premature judgments, emphasizing the need for fairness in the trial process.
Despite concerns that the impeachment might destabilize the country, Escudero stressed that it is a constitutional mechanism aimed at resolving disputes peacefully.
As one of the 12 senators whose terms extend beyond the elections, Escudero urged senatorial candidates to be careful with their rhetoric and to commit only to upholding justice and the law, regardless of the case’s outcome.
The coming months will test how political leaders navigate issue-based campaigning, Escudero said.
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MANILA – Twenty-five additional lawmakers have expressed their intent to join the fourth impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, bringing the total number of endorsers to 240, over 75% of the House’s 306 members.
Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong confirmed that these lawmakers, who were previously abroad or in their districts, have now submitted their verification to sign the complaint.
Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor attributed the growing support to consultations across major political parties, including Lakas-CMD, PFP, NUP, and NP. He emphasized that the complaint’s stronger, clearer case gained the supermajority’s confidence.
1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodrigo Gutierrez noted that prior impeachment attempts lacked momentum, but this filing has gained widespread consensus.
Gutierrez denied claims of financial incentives or “ayuda” being offered in exchange for signatures, asserting that the support stems purely from the merits of the case.
Adiong dismissed these allegations as part of a “smear campaign” aimed at undermining the impeachment process, urging the public to focus on the legal merits.
The House is also preparing an information campaign to educate the public on the impeachment process, with plans for an impeachment trial already underway.
Rodriguez stated that they are ready for any decision the Senate may make, whether it’s to proceed with the trial as early as March or after June 2.
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By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio warned the public against scammers who use her name and ask for money.
“Mag-ingat sa mga tao o grupong mangongolekta sa inyo ng pera gamit ang aking pangalan,” Duterte-Carpio said in a post.
She said that scammers introduce themselves as employees of the Bureau of Customs or other agencies of the government.
“Ang kanilang pakay ay ang makakuha sa inyo ng pera na umano ay pondo para sa kampanya. Ito ay isang scam,” Duterte-Carpio added.
“Wala po akong inutusan na sinuman upang manglikom ng pera para sa politika o kahit na anong klaseng gawain o layunin.”
The Vice President also urged the public to report such scams to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
(IAmigo/MNM)
By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — House Speaker Martin Romualdez said that he agrees with the Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in their message to support Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“I agree with the overseas Filipino worker who greeted me in Japan with a placard bearing a significant message. We should all support and respect the Vice President,” Romualdez said in a statement.
“The same respect and support that we should extend to the President and other government officials,” he added.
The statement was made after his encounter with OFWs in Japan, in which he was greeted by them with placards: “Please support VP Inday Sara Duterte.”
Romualdez is a former Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) partymate of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio before the latter resigned last May lamenting political “toxicity” and “powerplay” within the ruling political party.
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By Liezelle Soriano
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio has vehemently condemned the recent bombing in Mindanao, emphasizing the alarming nature of the attack.
The incident, which took place on Sunday (03 Dec 2023), resulted in injuries to several individuals and claimed the lives of four people. The bombing occurred during a Holy Mass at the Mindanao State University gymnasium.
“The casualties and the wounded are civilians. It is alarming that this happened within the MSU compound, in a Catholic church — in a region with a long and bloody history of terrorism,” remarked Duterte-Carpio.
“We are familiar with the fear and pain brought about by this heinous act. We must stand resilient in the face of challenges and the ongoing threat of terrorism,” she added.
The Vice President extended her heartfelt condolences to the families affected by the incident, stating, “I empathize with the families of the victims of the bomb explosion inside Mindanao State University in Marawi City this Sunday.”
“Simultaneously, we strongly condemn the act of bombing and those individuals or groups responsible for it,” Duterte-Carpio said.
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
STRESSING THAT IT’S ONLY CONGRESS that has the power of the purse, so to speak, a group of legal and economic experts that includes former Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno and 1987 Constitution framer Christian Monsod filed on Tuesday a petition before the Supreme Court to declare as “unconstitutional” Vice President Sara Duterte’s P125-million confidential funds, and asked to “return the money to the government’s treasury.”
The petitioners argued that even if the Office of the President (OP) approved the transfer, and the funds were released by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the transfer of funds from the national budget to the OVP tantamounts to an exercise of legislative power.
“Verily, the appropriation done by the DBM is a clear usurpation of the legislative power of the Congress of the Philippines to create and fund an item that has not been done so by the Congress itself,” the petitioners maintained.
Their petition before the SC is for certiorari, or one that questions the grave abuse of discretion by a government agency or official.
Ironically, it was administration ally Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo who had exposed that the OVP spent the P125-million confidential funds in just 11 days in 2022.
The public uproar over the issue prompted the House of Representatives led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez to strip the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) that VP Sara Duterte heads as its department secretary the P650-million total of confidential funds for 2024.
Crossing party lines, the congressmen decided to realign the confidential funds to the agencies tasked to safeguard the country’s security and sovereignty in the face of Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea.
“It is most respectfully prayed that this Honorable Court declare the transfer of the amount of P125 million to the Office of the Vice President as unconstitutional and that the Office of the Vice President be ordered to return the money to the government’s treasury,” the petitioners urged the SC.
In their petition, they also pointed out that “Clearly, the transfer from the Contingency Fund of the Office of the President to an inexistent ‘Confidential Fund’ is invalid, much not having a valid purpose for the said unlawful transfer.”
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
ACKNOWLEDGING THE VARIOUS THREATS to the security and lives of the teachers who backed out from their traditional poll duties, Vice President and Education Secretary (VPES) Sara Duterte on Saturday thanked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for not filing charges against them.
On Friday, November 3, the Comelec announced that it would not be filing criminal complaints against teacher-poll workers who begged off from working during the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) last October 30.
The VPES thanked the Comelec “for recognizing the various threats that confronted them during this time.”
“We also stand with Comelec in its resolve to file charges against those who intimidated, harassed, and threatened our teachers,” Duterte said.
Earlier, the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) said that if the teachers “withdrew because they felt an imminent threat to their life, health, and safety,” Comelec should recognize that as a valid reason.
“Such acts of violence and coercion not only jeopardized the safety and security of our educators but also undermined their dedication to service,” Duterte also noted.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia earlier admitted that they do not have a total number yet of those who backed out on election day but expressed the belief that only a few did.
(ai/mnm)
By Junex Doronio
ASKING HOW IT SPENT THE P125-MILLION in confidential funds, Senator Risa Hontiveros has continued to hammer on the Office of the Vice President (OVP) as she lamented that the gargantuan budget was spent in only 11 days in 2022 while that of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) which she estimated to be only P117 million was spread over 17 years.
“‘Yung ating Coast Guard sa West Philippine Sea, araw-araw binabantayan ang sumpong ng China. Seventeen years pinagkasya ang P117 million na confidential funds. Ang OVP, hindi man lang umabot sa dalawang linggo,” Hontiveros thundered.
But Commodore Jay Tarriela corrected the opposition senator as the PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) posted on X that there was more than P117 million in intelligence funds that had been allocated to the PCG.
He showed that there were P118.7 million in intelligence funds allocated to PCG from 2006 to 2023, including P10 million annually from 2013 to 2023.
“What can VP Sara show for it? Nag-mass hiring ba ang OVP ng libo-libong informant sa loob lang ng 11 na araw? Nagpatayo ba sila ng daan-daang safehouse sa loob lamang ng 11 na araw?” Hontiveros quipped.
She added: “Babalik lang tayo sa paulit-ulit na tanong: Saan ninyo dinala ang pera? Naghihintay ng resibo ang buong Pilipinas.”
Ironically, it was administration ally Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo who revealed that the P125-million OVP confidential funds were spent in only 11 days.
Quimbo has been defending the OVP’s confidential funds, but now she was speaking on behalf of the Commission on Audit (COA) during the plenary deliberation on the proposed 2024 budget.
Although there was no immediate reply from VP Duterte, the OVP maintained that the issue would be answered when its proposed P2.3-billion budget for 2024 is discussed in the House plenary.
Hontiveros — who was once described by PNoy political adviser Ronald Llamas as the “rightful successor” of former Vice President Leni Robredo as the leader of the traditional opposition — is expected to square off with VP Duterte and Speaker Martin Romualdez in the 2028 presidential slugfest.
(ai/mnm)