Malacañang on Tuesday said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. respects due process and is prepared to face the constitutional process following the filing of the first impeachment complaint against him.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said she has not personally spoken with the President about the complaint, but noted that Marcos had already expressed his position even before its filing.
“Ako personally, hindi ko pa nakausap ang Pangulo. Pero nakarating na sa atin kung ano ba yung kanyang naramdaman. Inaasahan to dahil naman iningay na ito ni Congressman Erice,” Castro said in an interview on Dos Por Dos, referring to earlier statements by Albay 1st District Rep. Edcel “Egay” Lagman Erice about a possible impeachment move.
Castro said the President believes in respecting the Constitution and the rule of law, adding that whatever process unfolds, Marcos is ready to accept it.
“Ayon naman sa Pangulo, even before siya ay kumikilala ng konstitusyon, ginagalang niya ang due process, ginagalang niya ang proseso. So kung ano ang magaganap, ito naman ay tatanggapin ng Pangulo,” she said.
Addressing claims that the impeachment complaint was filed primarily to trigger the one-year bar rule, Castro said such assertions remain speculative, as neither she nor the President has seen the full contents of the four-page complaint filed by lawyer Andre De Jesus.
“Personally, hindi ko pa nakikita yung laman ng complaint. At hindi pa rin nababasa ito ng Pangulo. Pero pinakita naman kasi yung grounds. Inisa-isa rin yung grounds. Pero yung paano i-detail ito, hindi pa natin alam,” Castro said.
Castro also said she could not yet confirm the background or political motivations of De Jesus, nor his alleged connection to First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos. She stressed that it remains unclear whether De Jesus previously represented the First Lady in any legal matter or acted independently.
“Marami naman nagsasampa ng disbarment pero hindi naman nila kliyente yung nagiging subject matter. So, yun lang yung gusto ko malaman. Kasi ang First Lady, sa aking pagkakaalam, hindi siya nagsasampa ng kaso,” Castro said.
On the endorsement of the impeachment complaint by a party-list lawmaker who has been linked to government contracts, Castro said she had no information establishing any connection between the endorsement and infrastructure or flood control projects.
Castro further maintained that the grounds cited in the complaint, including allegations related to illegal drugs and supposed violations in budget implementation, have long been addressed by the administration and can be easily disproven if formally discussed.
She cited the President’s decision to initiate investigations into alleged irregularities in government spending as proof of his commitment to accountability.
“Kung ang Pangulo ay talaga lamang para lokohin ang bayan dahil dito sa pondo na ito, tingin nyo ba magpapaimbisiga pa ito? Hindi ba hindi na dapat? Kasi itatago niya na yung mga kabulukan. Pero hindi,” Castro said
“Kahit maapektuhan yung kanyang administrasyon, kahit maapektuhan ng kahit papano yung ekonomiya, ang pinili ng Pangulo ay linisin ang gobyerno. Paunti yung unti, linisin mula sa corrupt officials,” the Palace officer added.
Asked whether Malacañang is worried about the impeachment complaint, Castro said the Palace is taking the matter seriously but remains confident.
“Ayoko namang sabihin na hindi ikinababahala. Pero ang Pangulo kasi ay ready dahil alam niya at alam namin, at alam ng karamihan sa atin, ang Pangulo nagtatrabaho, umaaksyon na naaayon naman sa konstitusyon at naaayon sa batas,” she said.
