President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not indicate influence on the House of Representatives to reject the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, said on Friday, January 24, Lucas Bersamin, the president's chief secretary. He confirmed the statement of the Makabayan bloc in the House.
"We cannot dictate the lower house. Everything we say, the president says to the lower house: here is my position. But he does not block it," Bersamin said. He stated that the president only expressed his views on the impeachment when asked about it.
"You know that under the Constitution, the impeachment process should start in the lower house, right? So, if the president made a statement about this process, it is simply an expressed opinion, because, presumably, the president's thoughts are contained in the fact that this may divert us from our current agenda or moving forward," Bersamin said.
Sara Duterte faces three impeachment complaints. Marcos earlier stated that conducting an impeachment procedure detracts the country from more pressing problems and issues. Thus, the president and the lower house are regarded as equal — belonging to the same branch of government.
