No wasted effort in VP impeachment - Rep. Marcos

Metro Manila, Philippines - Presidential son and newly-elected House majority leader Sandro Marcos said efforts did not go to waste in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, even if the Supreme Court ruled against it.

Marcos was the first to sign the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte in February, which became the Articles of Impeachment endorsed to the Senate.

The court said it was “unconstitutional,” barred by the one-year rule.

“I wouldn’t call it a wasted effort. We are carrying out our constitutional duty. There was no waste there and we were just doing our jobs,” Marcos told reporters at the Batasang Pambansa ahead of the fourth State of the Nation Address.

He said he would look into “where the cards fall” in the next few weeks regarding the issue.

The House of Representatives will appeal the ruling, which was based on erroneous facts and contradicts the chamber’s official records, according to its spokesperson.

“I understand this is an important issue for our kababayan, nakikita naman natin ang mga survey na ang daming tao sa kanilang isip ay kailangan humarap ang ating bise presidente sa isang impeachment court [We see surveys showing many Filipinos think that the vice president must face the impeachment court],” Marcos said.

READ: Majority of Filipinos say Duterte should face impeachment trial - survey 

“But, of course, we must respect the decision of the Supreme Court,” he said.

Marcos also said it was untimely to talk about the likely aborted impeachment trial as his father, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., will be delivering the SONA.

He said the president’s speech is “one that is in touch with the realities that we live in now,” adding that “may mga konting exciting [there are some exciting parts].”