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MANILA: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said on Friday that any impeachment complaint against his estranged vice president Sara Duterte would only distract Congress and not help people, in remarks that drew criticism from some lawmakers.
Sara Duterte, who made threats against the president's life on the weekend, is under legislative investigation for alleged misuse of public funds. She quit her cabinet post as education secretary in June and has denied wrongdoing.
A coalition of leftist lawmakers condemned Marcos' statement, calling it a "brazen attempt to influence Congress" after he discouraged impeachment proceedings against Duterte.
"Why waste time on it?" Marcos told reporters. "None of this will help improve a single Filipino life. As far as I'm concerned, it's a storm in a teacup."
In response, representatives France Castro, Arlene Brosas and Raoul Manuel, said they were "ready and preparing for impeachment" and urged Congress to assert its independence and hold officials accountable.
"Vice President Duterte must be held accountable," the lawmakers said, warning Congress against becoming a "rubber stamp of the executive branch".
Duterte's rift with Marcos and his cousin, House Speaker Martin Romualdez, has been at the centre of a bitter political row since the collapse of a powerful alliance between their families that led to Marcos' landslide win in the 2022 election.
Amid escalating tension, a group of business and civil society organisations, including the prominent Makati Business Club, urged public officials to exercise restraint and prioritise public welfare over political interests.
"Resorting to threats, incendiary rhetoric, or any form of violence has no place in a nation founded on the rule of law," the group said in a statement.
On Saturday, Duterte said she had hired an assassin to kill the president, his wife and Romualdez, in the event that she herself were killed, prompting a strong rebuke from Marcos.
Law enforcement officials had summoned Duterte for questioning over the statement on Friday, but the vice president failed to appear and asked for a new schedule. Her lawyers said she had office matters requiring her urgent attention.
When asked if his relationship with the vice president was irreparable, Marcos replied: "Never say never."
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