PBBM respects SC ruling; VP Sara said House abused impeachment process

Malacañang said President Marcos respects the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision reaffirming that the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte was unconstitutional for violating the Constitution’s one-year bar rule.

- By ARGYLL CYRUS GEDUCOS, JOSEPH PEDRAJAS, HANNAH L. TORREGOZA, DHEL NAZARIO, and ELLSON QUISMORIO

Vice President Sara Duterte, meanwhile, accused members of the House of Representatives of abusing the impeachment process after the SC upheld its decision of declaring the impeachment complaint as unconstitutional.

In a press briefing on Friday, Jan. 30, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the administration defers to the High Court as the final arbiter of legal questions.

"Igagalang po ng Pangulo, ng administrasyon kung anuman po ang naging desisyon ng Supreme Court patungkol po diyan (The President and the administration will respect whatever decision the Supreme Court has made on this matter)," she said.

Despite this, Castro stressed that the administration will continue to push its policy agenda regardless of developments surrounding the impeachment issue.

Asked whether Malacañang has a message for Congress amid talks of refiling or amending impeachment rules, Castro said the Palace will not interfere.

"Trabaho po iyan ng Kongreso, hindi po makikialam ang Pangulo (That is the job of Congress, and the President will not interfere)," she said.

Meanwhile, Castro also addressed claims that the ruling clears the Vice President, saying the decision was procedural and did not resolve the substantive accusations.

"Hindi po ito patungkol sa paglilinis sa isang issue ng nasabing subject matter (It is not about clearing the issue or the subject matter involved)," she added.

The Palace Press Officer reiterated President Marcos' position that accountability remains a core principle of his administration.

"Sabi nga po ng Pangulo kung dapat managot, dapat managot (As the President has said, whoever should be held accountable must be held accountable)," Castro said.

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