VP Duterte says looking into impeachment rumors

MANILA (UPDATED) — Vice President Sara Duterte on Sunday said her office is still looking into alleged moves to impeach her, saying also that thing are fine between her and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The rumors come on the heels of a supposed rift within the administration coalition, which made up of the biggest political parties and most influential clans.

“We are currently doing our due diligence about this one and we will release a comment [at the] appropriate time,” Duterte said in a chance interview in Quezon City.

Speaker Martin Romualdez earlier said that there are no moves at the House of Representatives to unseat the vice president.

“I’m not aware of anything… nothing filed, no news of that,” Romualdez had told reporters in an interview in San Francisco, California. 

Romualdez added that he did not know where the impeachment rumors are coming from.

The House leader is in the US as part of President Marcos Jr’s delegation for a 6-day visit.

VP SARA: ‘I STILL HAVE THE TRUST OF MARCOS’

“We’re okay,” the vice president said when asked about her working relationship with Marcos Jr. 

“I believe that I still have the trust of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.”

The supposed impeachment talk also comes after the House stripped the proposed 2024 budget of Duterte’s offices of confidential funds.

Apart from being vice president, Duterte is also secretary of education.

Romualdez has said the move to remove confidential funds from some civilian agencies was not politically motivated.

The rumor also followed the removal of Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as deputy speaker.

Arroyo is regarded as Duterte’s political mentor and an an ally to her and to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Davao City 3rd District Rep. Isidro Ungab, another Duterte ally, was also demoted from his deputy speaker position.

Duterte on Sunday went to Glan in Saranggani to visit the victims of the deadly 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit many Mindanao provinces. 

“Magpatuloy po tayong magdamayan, magtulungan, at magpalakas sa isa’t isa. Malalampasan natin ang pagsubok na ito, at sama-sama tayong babangon at magbunga ng isang mas malakas na Pilipinas,” she said in a statement.

from a report by Robert Mano, ABS-CBN News