Survival mode

In case you missed it, there has been a shift in President Marcos’ view on the impeachment of his estranged UniTeam partner, Vice President Sara Duterte.

- ANA MARIE PAMINTUAN

According to Malacañang, the President, without prejudging the case, will view any VP impeachment 2.0 in the same way as the flood control corruption scandal: anyone accountable should be held accountable.

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro announced BBM’s position at a Palace press briefing last week, and has been saying it in subsequent interviews including with “Storycon” on One News last Thursday.

Contrast this with what BBM himself told journalists in a chance interview in Lucena, Quezon on Nov. 29, 2024, during which he confirmed a “private communication” he relayed to the House of Representatives, that the chamber should not waste time with the VP’s impeachment.

“That's really my opinion,” he said in confirming the message to the House, and described the brewing impeachment as “a storm in a teacup.”

“This is not important. This does not make any difference to even one single Filipino life. So why waste time on it? What will happen if somebody files an impeachment? It will tie down the House. It will tie down the Senate,” he said.

“In the larger scheme of things, Sara is unimportant. So please do not file impeachment complaints. It will only distract us from the real work of governance, which is to improve the (lives) of all Filipinos,” BBM said.

And more: “None of this will help improve a single Filipino life. It will just take up all our time. And for naught. For what? For nothing. For nothing.”

Asked if he had reached the point of no return with VP Sara after her rant on putting out a contract to kill him in case she herself is assassinated, BBM replied, “Never say never.”