MANILA — After previously dismissing moves to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte as a “waste of time,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. now appears open to allowing the process to proceed, insisting that accountability should apply equally.
Following reports that a new impeachment complaint will be filed in the House of Representatives, Palace press officer Claire Castro on Monday said the President believes the complaint against Duterte should be handled the same way the administration is addressing alleged anomalies in flood control projects.
“The President only said that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara will be treated similarly to discussions and investigations into anomalous flood control projects,” Castro told reporters. “Whoever must be held accountable should be held accountable. That is the President’s directive. There should be no exceptions.”
Asked about the apparent shift, Castro explained that the scope of the controversy may not have been fully understood at the time of Marcos’ earlier remarks.
In November 2024, months after Duterte’s political alliance with the administration collapsed, Marcos opposed impeachment efforts, arguing the divisive process would not improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos. “This is not important. This will not change a single Filipino life. Why waste time on this?” he said then.
Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc and their allies are expected to refile their impeachment complaint once the one-year ban lapses on February 6.
This time, Malacañang said lawmakers should proceed if they believe they have evidence, adding that the President “will not interfere with their mandate.”
Castro said Marcos would allow the process to unfold “and will support whatever outcome emerges in accordance with law and proper procedure.” She urged lawmakers to “think about the interest of the people, not the interests of individuals they idolize.”
IMPEACH RAPS VS MARCOS FLOATED
Marcos himself may soon face complaints, after Senior Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Edgar Erice disclosed that some lawmakers are discussing filing impeachment charges against the President for alleged “betrayal of public trust,” including supposed complicity in budget insertions linked to Cabinet members and congressional allies.
Erice said several pro-Duterte groups even asked if he could endorse such a complaint.
Castro responded that Marcos is prepared for any case and believes Congress still trusts him. “The President respects the Constitution and respects due process,” she said, adding that corruption allegations do not apply. “First, the President did not steal any money. Second, he ordered the investigation into anomalous flood control projects. Third, he does not have any ‘Mary Grace Piattos,’” she said, referencing the purported fictitious beneficiaries tied to confidential funds released to Duterte’s office.
Castro said Marcos remains confident in lawmakers’ support because “he is not committing any wrongdoing” and even “protected the 2025 budget.”
EARLIER COMPLAINT ARCHIVED
In December 2024, four impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte.
The fourth complaint eventually led the House to impeach the Vice President, the first time the country’s second-highest official was formally charged with serious constitutional violations.
A cross-party coalition of 215 members approved the impeachment articles, which accused Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes, including alleged misuse of up to ₱612.5 million in confidential funds from 2022 to 2023 during her concurrent roles as Vice President and Education Secretary.
However, the Senate, then led by Senate President Francis Escudero, did not proceed to trial.
In August 2025, senators voted 19–4, with one abstention, to archive the impeachment articles after the Supreme Court ruled the complaint unconstitutional.