MANILA, Philippines – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said he is open to calling a special session if senators request it in connection with the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“If the senators ask for it, yes. Sila ang magde-decide. If the Senate President calls me up kung pwede mag special session, gagawin ko,” Marcos said, adding, “pero kung walang request ibig sabihin may iba pa silang ginagawa and they are not yet ready.”

Earlier, Senate President Chiz Escudero said there will be no impeachment trial against Duterte while the Senate is on break and that the trial will take place on June 2, 2025, when the Senate reconvenes.

Marcos also vehemently denied having a direct hand in the impeachment, stating, “no, the Executive cannot have a hand in this impeachment. Walang role ang Executive sa impeachment.”

However, he said he discussed the matter with other congressmen, “and that tinatanong ko ano ba plano niyo, ano ba talaga gusto niyo gawin? Nandito na ito, ‘di na maiiwasan.”

“Once the impeachment complaints were filed, the House and Senate, they have no choice. Nakatali kamay nila. They have to do this in recognition of the complaints that have been filed, and that’s why we have come to this point where the House has transmitted the impeachment complaint to the Senate,” Marcos said.

He also said his son, House Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos, sought his advice regarding the impeachment complaint, adding, “I did not know you’d (Sandro) be the first to sign it.”

“What I said is very simple—I told him mukhang magpipirmahan na, what’s your opinion? I told him the process has begun, so it’s your duty now to support that process. So do your duty. You are constitutionally mandated to carry out that process,” the President said.

“The House is a collegial body and decides as one, and that is what the House has decided. He is a member of the House of Representatives, so as a member, he has to do his duty. Whatever his opinions might be, he has to do his duty,” Marcos stressed, adding, “this applies not only to my son, it applies to all the congressmen.”

“Once na file yung impeachment complaint, gawin na niyo trabaho niyo, wala na sila choice. That’s exactly what the situation is, the second that the complaint was filed,” Marcos stressed.

He said they have to do their duty, “at kung di nila ipatakbo yung proseso, they are delinquent in their duty. They have to proceed with the impeachment complaint and making pakiusap (not to continue it) won’t change anything.”

On his earlier pronouncement that he did not want the impeachment to push through, Marcos said, “it doesn’t matter what I think. They will go thru the procedure, they will hear the case. It doesn’t matter what I think at this point.”

📷 Presidential Communications Office