The country may face a “very detrimental precedent” if it follows the reasoning implied in the Iglesia Ni Cristo rally in support of the President’s opposition to impeachment moves against Vice President Sara Duterte, chief presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile on Thursday said.
“There is a bigger question. Can the INC with all its members amend the Constitution or suspend any of its provisions? Are we prepared to discard or sacrifice the value of rule of law for a person or a group of persons?” Enrile said in a Facebook post.
“Are we prepared and ready to face the long-term consequences of that INC move?” he added.
Enrile said the impeachment was “just a constitutional legal process” to remove a government official from office, if there is a ground and evidence to support it.
He said an impeached official is “not going to jail by the mere fact of his impeachment.”
For his part, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the President is open to the opinions of his Cabinet, including Enrile.
Bersamin said Mr. Marcos is still not in favor of Duterte’s impeachment, but “seriously considers” Enrile’s stance.
“The President has always nurtured a culture of open ventilation of ideas within the Cabinet. In this way, policymaking is enriched by diverse views resulting in decisions distilled from a wealth of varied experiences, different disciplines, and special expertise of those who contribute,” Bersamin said.
“It is in this spirit that Secretary Enrile came forward with his views. While his thoughts may carry weight and are always valued, his is one of many that the President seriously considers,” the Palace official added.
Duterte is facing three impeachment complaints before the House of Representatives for alleged violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, plunder and malversation, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
In November last year, Mr. Marcos said filing an impeachment complaint against Duterte will only distract the government from the real work of the government “which is to improve the lives of all Filipinos.”
The President said the move to impeach Duterte is just a waste of time, as “none of this will help improve a single Filipino life.”
Meanwhile, Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña, an endorser of the first impeachment complaint against Duterte, urged the House to uphold its integrity and move forward with the proceedings.
Cendaña made the call during the “Misa ng Sambayanan: May Kapayapaan kung May Katarungan” attended by sectoral and religious groups at the EDSA Shrine Church on Thursday.
“If we want peace, we must first achieve justice,” Cendaña said.
Cendaña warned that inaction on the impeachment complaints not only delays justice but also “allows Duterte to undermine the country’s laws.”
“Ending impunity in the country should be the House leadership’s moral obligation,” he said.