PBBM: Vice President Sara Duterte does not deserve to be impeached

FILE: Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte delivers her speech during the release of the Basic Education Report (BER) 2023 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila in Pasay City on Monday (Jan. 30, 2023). (PNA photo by Alfred Frias)

MANILA – Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte continues to enjoy the full support of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. amid impeachment calls against her as the latter emphasized that she does not deserve to be ousted from office.

“Binabantayan namin nang mabuti (We are watching closely) because we don’t want her to be impeached. We don’t want her to—she does not deserve to be impeached. So, we will make sure that this is something that we will pay very close attention to,” Marcos said.

He made the remarks during the Kapihan with the Media on Sunday afternoon (Hawaii time) when asked for his reaction to the reported plans to impeach the Vice President.

He added that impeachment calls against high-ranking officials are not something new as he emphasized that there would always be “an element” that wants “to change the results of an election.”

Asked if there is already a “crack” in the Uniteam, Marcos said that he does not see it coming as he emphasized that they are even getting stronger and bigger with the addition of more members.

Marcos also noted a political development in the Uniteam over the past few months.

“These are the same people that talk about impeachment. They are the same people that talk ‘wala na, nagbabaklas-baklas na ‘yung Uniteam.’ Hindi totoo ‘yun. Tingnan na lang niyo mga (‘it’s over, the Uniteam is dividing’. It’s not true. Just look at the) political developments in the past few months,” President Marcos said.

Marcos also stressed, on a personal level, that they have an excellent relationship with Duterte as he emphasized that he sees nothing but good things about her work in the Department of Education.

Duterte said Marcos knew about the impeachment rumors and reassured her before leaving for the United States that his trust in her remains.

“Itutuloy ko lang ‘yung sinabi ko kahapon. Hindi naman kasi tinanong sakin kahapon (I will just continue what I said yesterday because no one asked why) I still have the trust of President Marcos, I believe I still have the trust of President Marcos Jr. because before he left, I asked him about the impeachment, then he told me the truth that he knows about the impeachment,” Duterte told reporters at a press briefing in Metropolitan Manila Development Authority on Monday.

In an interview after joining the celebration of World Children’s Day in Quezon City on Sunday, Duterte said she is confident she still has Marcos’ trust.

“We’re okay. Well, I believe that I still have the trust of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,” she told reporters.

When asked whether she is aspiring for the presidency, Duterte reiterated that even running for vice president was not part of her plan.

“Hindi ko naman talaga ambisyong tumakbo bilang Vice President and lalong lalo na ang President. Alam niyo naman lahat ‘yan na sinabi ko noon na hindi ko gustong tumakbong President.

Lahat ng ginagawa natin (It was not really my ambition to run as Vice President and especially as President. You all know that I previously said that I don’t want to run as President. All we do), we can only plan but it will be truly God’s plan that will prevail,” she said. (PNA/Presidential News Desk)