House senior deputy majority leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos III said it’s now up to the Senate to consider the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Marcos III, also the Ilocos Norte representative, noted the statement of Senate President Francis Escudero that senators cannot start the trial of Duterte during the election-related recess of Congress that will last for more than three months.
The Senate and the House will reconvene on June 2 after the May elections.
“I think we have to wait for the actions of the upper house, to see what their plans are. Kami sa House of Representatives, tapos na kami sa aming trabaho,” Marcos said in a press release from the Office of the Speaker.
He said people should not be surprised that he was the first to sign the impeachment complaint against the vice president.
He confirmed that his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., had advised him to support the impeachment process.
“Katulad po sa sinabi ng ating Pangulo ay nung nagpirmahan na ‘yung impeachment complaint, ay tinanong ko siya kung ano bang advice niya. And tama naman yung sinabi niya. He said do your duty as a congressman and uphold your oath to the Constitution that you swore to protect. And it is my constitutional duty to go through the impeachment process as an elected representative,” the presidential son said.
But he denied allegations that he spearheaded the gathering of signatures for the impeachment petition.
“I think people give me too much credit. I was given the opportunity to sign and I did sign but I did not spearhead any movement or I did not try to convince anyone to sign. I think they did that on their own volition,” Marcos said.
He said the signatories totaled 215, but 25 more had been added to the list.
Marcos also denied reports that promises of fund releases were made to impeachment signers. “There was nothing offered in exchange for the signatures.” ||
