VP Sara: Marcos lied about not knowing impeach efforts against me

Vice President Sara Duterte said President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. knew about efforts to impeach her, but he allegedly denied this when she confronted him about the matter years ago.

Speaking at her weekly program by the Office of the Vice President (OVP), Duterte recalled that some members of the House of Representatives had planned to impeach her since 2023 over her alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Duterte added that the House hearing on confidential funds was meant to be a "fishing expedition" for evidence against her.

She claimed that the Marcos administration was eyeing former Speaker and Leyte First District Representative Martin Romualdez to be the next president, and that their allies were pushing for Charter change through a people's initiative (PI).

However, according to Duterte, the initiative failed after the Department of Labor and Employment's (DOLE) TUPAD program, or Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Displaced/Disadvantaged Workers, was used to gather signatures for Charter change, which supposedly led to public clamor against the move.

GMA News Online has requested comment from Romualdez about the matter, but he has yet to respond as of posting time.

Duterte said that in November 2023, she sought help from Senator Imee Marcos, the President's sister, to discuss the issue with him before he left for the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference (APEC) Summit.

She said she had an opportunity to directly ask Marcos about the issue.

"Kinompronta ko nang diretso si BBM sabi ko sa kaniya, 'Bakit mayroong pagpaplano ng impeachment sa House of Representatives sa akin? Alam niyo si BBM English 'yan eh, 'Oh that's not true. There's nothing like that,'" the Vice President said.

(I confronted BBM directly and said to him, 'Why is my impeachment being planned in the House of Representatives? You know BBM, he speaks English, 'Oh that's not true. There's nothing like that.')

"Natigil 'yung denial niya kasi sa sobrang daldal niya, lumabas sa bibig niya na ang prioridad daw is Charter change," Duterte continued.

(His denial stopped because he talked too much, it came out of his mouth that the priority was Charter change.)

According to Duterte, Senator Marcos heard their conversation and questioned her brother about Charter change, to which Marcos replied that it was for "economic provisions."

Duterte added there were discussions to remove the OVP and prolong the terms of the members of the House of Representatives.

"Doon 'yon, na-confirm ko na alam ni BBM 'yung ginagawa, bilihan ng signature sa people's initiative doon sa discussion namin kasama si Sen. Imee Marcos. November 2023 'yun," she said.

(There, I confirmed that BBM knows what they are doing, the buying of signatures for the people's initiative in our discussion with Sen. Imee Marcos. That's November 2023.)

'I'll take care of you'

Duterte said prior to Marcos' departure for the APEC Summit, it was when the President told her that he would handle the matters himself.

"Noong lumapit siya sa akin, nasa hagdanan na siya, sinabi niya sa akin, 'Don't worry I'll take care of you.' So nagulat ako. Na parang, nagsinungaling ka kagabi na hindi mo alam ang impeachment. Kasi bakit ka naman magsasabi ng 'I'll take care of you?'"

(When he approached me, he was already on the stairs, he told me, 'Don't worry I'll take care of you.' So I was surprised. Like, you lied last night that you didn't know about the impeachment. Because why would you say 'I'll take care of you?')

"Ang tagal namin nagsama sa kampanya, halos mamatay-matay na kami sa init, sa dehydration, sa pagod, hindi naman nagsabi yan ng 'I'll take care of you?' Tapos bigla meron akong kinumpronta sa iyo na usapang impeachment sa House of Representatives, ibubulong mo sa akin bago ka umalis, 'I'll take care of you'? Why do you need to take care of me? You know something, 'di ba?”

(We were together for so long in the campaign, we endured the heat, dehydration, and exhaustion. He didn't say 'I'll take care of you?' Then suddenly I confronted him about the impeachment in the House of Representatives, he whispered to me before he left, 'I'll take care of you?' Why do you need to take care of me? You know something, right?)

Duterte was asked if Marcos, along with Romualdez, was also involved in the planning for her impeachment.

"Kasama siya doon, kasi bakit mo naman i-deny tapos sasabihin mo I'll take care of you? Hindi niya siguro naisip na mahuhuli ang pagsisinungaling niya by his words the next day," she said.

(He has a hand in it, because why would you deny it then later on say 'I'll take care of you?' He probably didn't think that his lying would be caught by his words the next day.)

Not now

Sought for comment, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said that now is not the time for politics as tensions are high in the Middle East.

"Hindi po napapanahon ngayon ang pamumulitika at pag-angat sa sarili. Abala po ang Pangulo ngayon para marinig ang boses ng Pilipinas na sumisigaw para sa kapayapaan at seguridad ng bawat isa lalo na ng mga kababayan natin.  Abala rin po ang Pangulo natin na maibsan ang epekto sa ating bayan at taumbayan ng nangyayari sa Middle East. Ang tapang ng isang leader ay makikita sa tunay na malasakit hindi sa salita kundi sa  pagganap sa tungkulin para sa bayan at para sa bansa."

(This is not the time for politicking or self-promotion. The President is currently busy listening to the voice of the Philippines, crying out for peace and security of all our countrymen. Our President is also busy with efforts to alleviate the impact of the Middle East situation on our country and people. The courage of a leader can be seen in true concern not in words, but in the performance of duty for the people and for the country.)

Earlier this week, the House Committee on Justice found two impeachment complaints against Duterte sufficient in substance. 

The impeachment complaints were filed by Fr. Bong Saballa, among others, and that of lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera.

Both the Saballa and Cabrera complaints gathered 54 yes votes, one no vote, and zero abstention. It was Quezon City Rep. Bong Suntay who registered the negative vote.

The impeachment complaints mainly accuse the Vice President of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, over the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential fund, and threatening to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. and his family. — VDV, GMA Integrated News