President Marcos talks with the media at a press conference in Kalayaan Hall, Malacañan Palace on Thursday, Feb. 6.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Well, the reason I called this press conference is that, first of all, I remember that over
00:06the Christmas holidays, I promised you that I will be more accessible to the press.
00:12And I am now fulfilling that promise.
00:18And because, to tell you the truth, I've been a little bit dissatisfied with the ambush
00:24interview.
00:25Because some of the things that we talk about are not simple.
00:29You can't just get one soundbite, that's not possible.
00:34And so I thought that we should have a proper press conference where you can ask your questions,
00:40take your time asking the questions, we're not in a hurry.
00:47And to continue that, I think I've asked Cesar to arrange that we do this at least
00:54once a month, unless there's something very, very important, like there is today.
01:03Now, I know I have been watching, of course I've been watching the coverage on the impeachment
01:11proceedings from the different, both from the traditional media and social media.
01:18And anyway, so let's start a subject on the impeachment of Vice President Sara by the
01:43House of Representatives.
01:45Now, I think it is useful, maybe so that we can really understand the events.
01:51And maybe as an explanation to the questions that I see from the commentators.
01:59Number one, you may remember, it all started when I made the pronouncement, I said, I don't
02:09want, I hope we don't have an impeachment, because we have a lot of other jobs.
02:15Actually, it's also not practical.
02:18At that time, when I first said that, no one had filed an impeachment.
02:25That's why I was hoping that I can convince everyone, let's not do this first.
02:33If you really believe that this needs to be done, let's not do it now and we still have a lot to do.
02:42That's why, if you look at it, my colleagues in the House of Representatives, none of them filed.
02:51None of them followed what I asked of them, that they don't file an impeachment because
02:57the timing is not good and there are many other problems.
03:01But there are other groups, of course, the Makabayan group out of the House of Representatives,
03:07Senator Laila de Lima, the religious group filed, those three.
03:12And if you remember, when JPE made a statement that he said,
03:20we can't stop it because there is a group that doesn't want to.
03:25I think he was referring to the Church Of Christ.
03:28He said, we can't stop it because there is a group or a group that doesn't want to.
03:35And I told you, when you asked me, I said, I agree with him.
03:39And if you remember, my words were this, once the impeachment complaints are filed,
03:47they have no choice.
03:49The House has no choice.
03:51The Senate has no choice.
03:53They need to process the impeachment complaint.
03:59And that's exactly what has happened.
04:01Once the impeachment complaints were filed,
04:11the House and the Senate, they had no choice.
04:17They have to do this.
04:19And they have to do it in recognition of, again, the complaints that have been filed.
04:29That's what happened.
04:31And that's why we have come to this point
04:33where the House has transmitted already the impeachment complaint to the Senate.
04:42We have heard some of the statements made by the Senate President
04:46as to how he is planning to handle it.
04:48So, we will have to see.
04:51Because, as you've heard before,
04:56and that we heard many, many times during the Corona trial,
05:00these impeachment trials are sui generis.
05:04And therefore, we have to be very clear how the rules are and how it will be conducted.
05:10That's what I remember because I was also in the House and I was in the Senate during the Corona trial.
05:15So, I have some understanding of the procedures.
05:20But anyway, that's the way I see it.
05:22That's the way that happened.
05:24And now, I'll open the floor to any questions of yours.
05:27Thank you, Mr. President.
05:29First question, Ivan Marina, JMA 7.
05:31Good afternoon, Mr. President.
05:33Good afternoon.
05:34While it is true that the House has a constitutional duty to act on the impeachment complaint,
05:40they have a choice whether to endorse it or not.
05:43I'll ask the question directly.
05:45Did you have a hand in this impeachment?
05:47No, the executive cannot have a hand in the impeachment.
05:51There is no role of the executive in the impeachment.
05:53Of course.
05:54Did we discuss it with the Speaker?
05:56Did we discuss it with the other congressmen?
05:58Of course.
05:59And they ask, what is your plan?
06:02What do you really want to do?
06:04Well, this is already here.
06:08We cannot avoid it.
06:09But the conventional thinking, Mr. President,
06:11is that nothing comes to pass in the House without the President
06:14or without Malacanang's blessing.
06:16Well, you give me too much credit.
06:19But again, what the House has done is clearly the constitutional mandate
06:29that they have to proceed with the impeachment complaint.
06:35So, that's why I think they're just following the procedure.
06:45They will transmit the impeachment complaint to the upper house.
06:55One last point from my end, Mr. President.
06:57I noticed that your son was the first to sign the endorsement.
07:01Did he seek your advice on this?
07:04And what did you tell him?
07:06Of course, he did.
07:08And I said, it's very simple, but I told him.
07:12And he said, it looks like he's going to sign it.
07:17What's your opinion on what I should do?
07:22And I told him, I said, the process has begun.
07:27It's like a law.
07:29When you're in the legislature,
07:31when you file a bill,
07:33House Bill No. 1, 2, 3, etc., etc.,
07:37when you file that,
07:39that bill takes a life of its own.
07:41No matter what the congressman or the senator who filed it does,
07:45even if they don't want to make changes to their bill,
07:49they can't do anything
07:51because the bill is going through the process as it should.
07:55And part of that process will be amendments, additions, all that.
07:59The impeachment complaint is exactly the same.
08:01Once it has been filed,
08:03there is a procedure that needs to be followed already.
08:07So I told him,
08:11the process has already begun.
08:15So it's your duty now to support that process.
08:19So do your duty.
08:21That's what I told him.
08:23You have to support the process.
08:25You are constitutionally mandated
08:27to carry out that process.
08:29And you are a congressman.
08:31So do your duty.
08:33That's what I told him.
08:35I didn't know you'd be the first to sign.
08:37Maricel Halili, News 5.
08:43Sir, good afternoon.
08:45Sir, you were very vocal before
08:47that you don't want impeachment
08:49because it's not the right time.
08:52How do you see this affecting
08:54especially on the ongoing priorities?
08:58Well, it depends on how the Senate chooses to handle it.
09:02It's not yet clear what the Senate President's plan is
09:06and what our Senators' plan is.
09:10How will they do it?
09:12If they will immediately convene?
09:14If they will still study the rules?
09:16If they are going to wait until the next session?
09:18So we'll have to wait
09:20until they decide
09:22how it's going to be.
09:24But just to be categorical about it,
09:26Sir, don't you see this
09:28as a defiance
09:30in a way considering
09:32that you were already vocal before
09:34that this is not the right time
09:36and yet the impeachment case still proceeded?
09:38No.
09:40I'm sure
09:42that the parties
09:44that filed the impeachment cases
09:46felt strongly about it
09:48and despite my
09:50importunings
09:52and expressing my opinion
09:54that we really would rather
09:56not have the impeachment
09:58they continued to do that.
10:00It's not defiance.
10:02That's their belief.
10:04It's their belief that this needs to be done.
10:06Even though I told them
10:08not to do it,
10:10they still continued
10:12with their thinking.
10:14I don't view that as defiance.
10:16I view that as
10:18expressing what they feel
10:20to be right.
10:24Janelle Marie Bohawk,
10:26UNTV.
10:28Sir, another issue.
10:30Sir, what is behind
10:32the sudden change of the leader
10:34of PhilHealth?
10:36And what is your directive
10:38to the new PhilHealth president, Sir?
10:40Actually,
10:42if you look at
10:44the qualifications
10:46of Dr. Mercado,
10:48he is very well-versed
10:50in both hospital administration,
10:52insurance,
10:54and his whole life
10:56has been devoted to healthcare.
10:58And so,
11:00it was I, after we
11:02took an oath, we talked for a long time.
11:04I said, go back.
11:06I'm not advising him. He's the expert.
11:08So I asked him,
11:10what do you think we should do?
11:12And we went,
11:14pareho kami, immediately,
11:16napunta yung usapan sa digitalization.
11:18Kasi maganda naman
11:20ang serviso ng PhilHealth.
11:22Ngunit, yung pag-process
11:24ng claim,
11:26pag-apply,
11:28et cetera,
11:30hindi kinakamay pa rin.
11:32Kaya napakabagal.
11:34And that's why
11:36that became a priority.
11:38But of course, beyond that,
11:40many other ideas on how
11:42to
11:44make
11:46the services of
11:48PhilHealth more inclusive,
11:50expanded,
11:52and
11:54again, to give
11:56better coverage for
11:58different conditions
12:00for those who
12:02will avail
12:04of the PhilHealth services
12:06and of their
12:08financial support.
12:10Sir, nag-resign po ba?
12:12Sinabi niya sa akin,
12:14actually, sinabi niya sa akin,
12:16that's as far as I can tell you.
12:18Sabi niya, I'll go
12:20first, attend, I'll go to
12:22say, in a week's time,
12:24sabi niya sa akin, in a week's time,
12:26maybigyan kita ng report much more detailed
12:28kung ano sa palagay ko, yung nakikita ko sa PhilHealth
12:30na pwedeng palitan,
12:32pwedeng palakin,
12:34et cetera, et cetera.
12:36Sir, may we know, nag-resign po ba
12:38si Relye Desma?
12:40Well, yes, he left his
12:42position already, sabi niya,
12:44nahirapan na rin yata sa
12:46with all of the,
12:48hindi siya sanay sa politic eh.
12:50Monday, Relye Desma
12:52very much comes from the private sector,
12:54so I think he found
12:56the transition to be
12:58jarring, shall we say.
13:00Thank you, sir.
13:02Sean A. Yu, People's Journal.
13:04Good afternoon, sir.
13:06Sir, just would like to get your thoughts
13:08on Representative
13:10Marcoleta's statement that
13:12there is no such thing as the West
13:14Philippine Sea.
13:16Okay.
13:18I guess he's
13:20expressing his opinion.
13:22When I see him,
13:24nalukuhin ko siya.
13:26He's a candidate, so he has to grab headlines,
13:28diba? So tama yung ginawa na
13:30for a candidate. Ngayon, never talking about
13:32him na.
13:34Magaling, magaling,
13:36magaling talaga siya sa ganyan.
13:38Sir, yung
13:40Chinese monster ship
13:42nasa West Philippine Sea
13:44for more than a month now,
13:46how are you going to respond to
13:48this? Will you change your approach?
13:50Kasi parang hindi naman
13:52umaalis doon sa area.
13:54Well, we don't have the means
13:56na paalisin. Di naman buti
13:58kung meron tayong aircraft
14:00carrier na may kasamang
14:02destroyer, frigate, atsaka submarine
14:04na papupuntahin natin doon para
14:06matulak silang palayo.
14:08Wala naman tayong ganun. Kung
14:10sa palakihan
14:12at paramihan lang ng barkong
14:14malayo tayo sa China.
14:16Pero, ang policy naman natin
14:18is that we will just continue to defend
14:20our territorial,
14:22our sovereign territory
14:24and our territorial
14:26rights in the EEC.
14:28Yun lang. Kahit ano pang
14:30ang inisip namin.
14:32Ano bang mission ng
14:34Coast Guard? Ano bang mission ng Navy?
14:36To protect the territorial integrity
14:38of the Philippines. So that's
14:40what they will do. They will continue to do that
14:42no matter what any other foreign
14:44power does. That is what we will
14:46do. When we detect the presence
14:48of a foreign vessel who
14:50is beginning to intrude
14:52or coming close already
14:54to our coastal waters,
14:56papupuntahan natin ang barko.
14:58And we will challenge them.
15:00And we will make sure that they know that
15:02this is what they are doing is illegal.
15:04Of course they will counter saying that
15:06they're doing
15:08regular peacekeeping patrols,
15:10law enforcement patrols.
15:12But,
15:14they will always find,
15:16they will always
15:18find the Philippine presence
15:20no matter what they do. Kahit na,
15:22yun na nga, kahit na
15:24panggain na yung barko natin. Kahit na
15:26mag-water cannon sila, mag-laser sila,
15:28kahit kung ano panggawin na, mag-block sila.
15:30Laging nandyan ang Pilipinas.
15:32They will always, we will always be there
15:34protecting our territory.
15:36We will always be there making
15:38sure our fishermen
15:40are able to exercise
15:42their sovereign rights.
15:44Nandyan lage. That's their mission.
15:46And if
15:48their presence helps
15:50to, kasi kuminsan,
15:52napapaalis nga nila kahit yung malalaking
15:54barko, then better.
15:58Then they will have achieved
16:00what they are supposed to do
16:02while patrolling
16:04our waters.
16:06Sir, last nalang from me.
16:08Sir, last week you said that
16:10you had a deal with China,
16:12nagbigay kayo ng kondisyon sa China na
16:14you will pull out the
16:16typhoon missile
16:18even when China will stop
16:20its aggression. Nag-respond
16:22na po bang China about it?
16:24No.
16:26I didn't expect them
16:28to either.
16:30Because, no.
16:32I didn't expect them to. And they haven't
16:34responded specifically.
16:36They've responded in general terms
16:38saying that
16:40what they do is a lawful exercise
16:42of law enforcement and all that.
16:44But no.
16:46Nothing specific on the missiles.
16:48Nothing specific about
16:52the reduction
16:54of tension,
16:56the reduction of the aggressive moves.
16:58Nothing like that. Wala kaming
17:00na pag-usap na ganyan.
17:02Thank you, Mr. President.
17:04Alexis Romero, Philippine Star.
17:06Good afternoon, Mr. President.
17:08Let me just go back to
17:10one of our interviews
17:12during one of your previous U.S. visits
17:14to Honolulu, Hawaii.
17:16You asked about the looming
17:18impeachment, supposedly that time,
17:20against Vice President Sara Duterte.
17:22You told
17:24reporters, you told us
17:26binabantayan namin ng
17:28mabuti. This was in Honolulu,
17:30Mr. President. Binabantayan namin
17:32ng mabuti because we don't want her
17:34to be impeached. She does not
17:36deserve to be impeached. So we will make sure
17:38that this is something we will pay
17:40very close attention to.
17:42So that time, apparently, you do not
17:44want her impeached. Given these recent
17:46developments, do you hold
17:48that stance still or
17:50your position has changed? It doesn't
17:52matter what I think.
17:54It will have to go to the procedure.
17:56It will go to trial.
17:58And we will
18:00have
18:02senator judges
18:04and they will
18:06hear the case.
18:08The prosecutors will come from the House.
18:10There will be a defense panel and it
18:12will be a trial. It doesn't matter what I think
18:14at this point. That was my opinion.
18:16That's my opinion
18:18when I was asked that.
18:20None of this had happened yet.
18:22But I
18:24have to keep reminding you.
18:26The executive has
18:30no formal role
18:32in the entire impeachment
18:34process. The executive has no
18:36formal role. If ever there's an
18:38informal role, I can talk to the
18:40executive speaker. I can talk to the congressman.
18:42I can talk to the senator.
18:44I can talk to the SP. But that's about it.
18:46They will decide
18:48how they will proceed.
18:52I don't think you can
18:54expect the congressman
18:56or the senator or the SP
18:58or the speaker to come to me.
19:00What do you want us to do? They know.
19:02They have their own
19:04way of doing things.
19:06That's what
19:08they will implement.
19:14The most that
19:16a president can do
19:18or any part of the department
19:20of the executive can do
19:22is moral suasion.
19:24That didn't
19:26work.
19:28Do you
19:30follow the process?
19:34Raquel Bayan, Radio Pilipinas.
19:36I know
19:38our co-equal branch
19:42but are you planning
19:44to personally ask the senate
19:46how they will
19:48handle the impeachment
19:50so that we can address
19:52the issue.
19:54Once the impeachment
19:56is transmitted to them
19:58so that we can know
20:00how to make adjustments
20:02to the possible effect
20:04of the impeachment
20:06in the country.
20:08You should ask
20:10now at least at this point
20:12it's in the senate.
20:14You don't have to ask from the senate.
20:16If you're going to ask about the prosecution's case
20:18I don't know if you'll get an answer
20:20right now because we've only just started.
20:22But they are the ones that you should be asking.
20:24From this point on
20:26I'm just
20:28a very
20:30interested observer.
20:32But again
20:34I don't appear.
20:36I will not be part of it.
20:38There will be no representation from the executive.
20:40Why should there be?
20:42We leave it
20:44to Congress
20:46now specifically
20:48the senate
20:50to exercise their own wisdom.
20:56Edwin Santos, Net 25.
20:58Mr. President
21:00you said that
21:02impeachment will not
21:04do good to the lives
21:06of any Filipino.
21:08When Congressman
21:10Sandro Marcos
21:12asked for your advice
21:14as a father and as a father
21:16of this nation,
21:18did you not think
21:20or was he advised
21:22to do his duty
21:24for the well-being and interest
21:26of many Filipinos
21:28and that
21:30your standing should be
21:32that impeachment should not continue?
21:34The House is a collegial body.
21:36They decide
21:38as one.
21:40And that was what the House decided.
21:42He is a member
21:44of the House of Representatives.
21:46So as a member of the House
21:48of Representatives, he has to do
21:50his duty.
21:52Whatever his opinions might be,
21:54he must do his duty.
21:56Even if he says it,
21:58this applies to not only
22:00my son, it applies to all the congressmen.
22:02Once
22:04the
22:06impeachment
22:08complaint is filed,
22:10do your job.
22:12They have no choice.
22:14That's what I'm talking about.
22:16The Senate has no choice.
22:18The House has no choice.
22:20That's exactly what the
22:22situation is once
22:24the second
22:26the complaint were filed.
22:28Is the government
22:30ready for
22:32the effect, implication
22:34of the impeachment
22:36trial
22:38in the Senate?
22:40If in case there is an effect,
22:42they will work.
22:44We don't know.
22:46Let's wait and see what they will do.
22:48Because I don't know.
22:50We don't have a timetable.
22:52We don't know how it will be conducted.
22:54What are the rules that will be followed, etc.
22:56Let's wait.
22:58Again, it is
23:00up to them.
23:02How they decide to
23:04have the trial.
23:06When they have the trial, what are the rules
23:08for the trial, how they will conduct
23:10it, etc.
23:12Who will be the
23:14presiding
23:16judge?
23:18Who will be the senator judge?
23:20Who will be the presiding? All of that.
23:22Is there a plan
23:24for our president to
23:26talk to them?
23:28Do you have a plan
23:30as the president of our country
23:32to talk to them
23:34not to continue the impeachment
23:36because it might
23:38affect the work
23:40of our government and of course
23:42the lives of our countrymen.
23:46The Senate has no choice.
23:48The House has no choice.
23:50They have to do this now.
23:52Once the impeachment
23:54complaint was filed,
23:56the process
23:58has already run.
24:00And if they don't run
24:02the process,
24:04then they are
24:06delinquent in their duties.
24:08That's what I meant.
24:10The House has no choice.
24:12They have to proceed
24:14with the impeachment complaint.
24:16The Senate now has no choice.
24:18They have to try
24:20the impeachment complaint.
24:22So making
24:24pakiusap, doing that, it won't change anything.
24:26It won't change anything.
24:28They still have to have a trial.
24:34People's Journal.
24:36People's Journal.
24:46If the senators ask for it, yes.
24:48Again,
24:50they will decide.
24:52We are not the ones
24:54deciding this.
24:56If the Senate president
24:58calls me up on the telephone,
25:00I will talk to the senators
25:02if they can have a special session. Sure.
25:04But if they don't have
25:06such a request, it means
25:08they are doing something else.
25:10They're not yet ready.
25:12There's no request yet, sir.
25:14It's too early.
25:16I just got it yesterday.
25:18Thank you, sir.
25:20Anne Soberano, Bombo Radio.
25:22Sir, good afternoon. I just want to get your thoughts,
25:24sir. There are also
25:26issues spreading
25:28that there are alternatives.
25:30The congressmen
25:32in the impeachment
25:34were given aid.
25:36Your thoughts on this?
25:38Maybe it's
25:40a diversionary tactic,
25:42or they wanted to undermine
25:44the credibility of the House.
25:46They're undermining
25:48the process by saying
25:50that all this. I've heard also
25:52the assertion that there's
25:54such a thing. I don't think so.
25:56The signature is overwhelming.
25:58And
26:00the signature is
26:02215.
26:04From what I understand,
26:06there are
26:08congressmen
26:10who wanted to sign,
26:12but out of town.
26:14So they can't
26:16go to sign. In fact,
26:18some are asking
26:20if they can e-signature.
26:22It seems they can't
26:24because they need to be in front of
26:26a long section.
26:28They need to be sworn in and
26:30notarized.
26:32But I don't think
26:34that kind of
26:362 thirds of the Senate,
26:38they're 306.
26:40They've got 215.
26:42Just a little bit over 2 thirds.
26:44You can't get that
26:46kind of system.
26:48I know.
26:50I've been in Congress. I don't think
26:52that way
26:54of operating would have worked.
26:56Certainly not to the extent
26:58that you get 215
27:00signatures.
27:02Anna Baggio,
27:04GMA News Online.
27:06Good afternoon, sir. Sir, may we just get your thoughts
27:08on the statement of
27:10Representative Paolo Duterte that the
27:12impeachment was just an abuse of power
27:14and political
27:16persecution.
27:18What else would he say?
27:20He knows that
27:22he's right.
27:24It's
27:26nothing surprising.
27:28We've
27:30heard these statements
27:32from Congressman Pulong before.
27:34I just see his
27:36reaction to that.
27:38But his
27:40by Pulong Duterte
27:42about Sarah Duterte.
27:44Not exactly surprising.
27:48Okay.
27:50Thank you, sir.
27:52Sir, we have Richmond
27:54Quevedo from Tribune.
27:56Sir,
27:58may I ask you, do you
28:00agree that somehow your
28:02opinions or statements
28:04has influenced
28:06certain members of Congress?
28:08Like somehow, sir,
28:10reverse psychology, like sending
28:12a kind of signal?
28:14Well, it
28:16did because none
28:18of my
28:20colleagues
28:22in the House
28:24filed an impeachment.
28:26That's what I
28:28told them, don't file
28:30an impeachment. So they didn't
28:32file an impeachment. The one who filed
28:34impeachment was a different group.
28:36You can't say that the group is my colleague.
28:38So
28:40they just did what
28:42they felt was
28:44needed to be done.
28:46Thank you, sir.
28:48Sir, Heidi Sampang, DZAS.
28:50Good afternoon, Mr. President.
28:52I know this is just the start
28:54but how prepared are we
28:56for the economic impact
28:58of the impeachment trial?
29:00And is it possible
29:02to slow down our momentum?
29:04I doubt it very much.
29:06If you...
29:08Maybe not.
29:10I don't see any effect
29:12of that.
29:14As long as
29:16we continue
29:18our plans,
29:20our strategies
29:22about investment,
29:24about
29:26new structural
29:28changes that I always talk about,
29:30that's what
29:32the investors are looking at.
29:34So I don't think it will have any effect.
29:36Okay, thank you, sir.
29:38Julie Aurelio,
29:40Inquire.
29:42Good afternoon, sir.
29:44If I may recall your statement last year,
29:46prior to the filing of the impeachment complaints,
29:48you said that you didn't want
29:50impeachment complaints to be filed because it would
29:52only distract legislators
29:54from doing their jobs. It will not serve
29:56or benefit any Filipino.
29:58Given that,
30:00what's your guidance to
30:02Congress so that
30:04they would be...
30:06I do not give guidance to Congress.
30:08But how do you solve
30:10the problem of not distracting them from their jobs?
30:12Again, you give me far too much credit
30:14that I can tell Congressmen
30:16to do this and to do that.
30:18I cannot. I do not give guidance
30:20to Congress. We are independent
30:22of each other.
30:24Of course,
30:26we talk to each other about all kinds of things.
30:28But...
30:34I don't. I don't.
30:36I don't even attempt to do that.
30:38Let's be very clear there.
30:42Sure,
30:44when I'm talking to them, they ask my opinion.
30:46I give them my opinion.
30:48But it's up to them to take it or not.
30:52You cannot call it guidance.
30:54Are you not afraid that
30:56it might derail your effort?
30:58It might derail priority
31:00measures in Congress because...
31:02Because?
31:04The Senate will be busy with impeachment.
31:06Slowly, please. I cannot...
31:08Are you not afraid that...
31:10You were afraid before that the impeachment
31:12process might derail or might
31:14sidetrack
31:16the priority measures
31:18of your administration, given that
31:20this is already happening.
31:22Are you not
31:24fearful or afraid that
31:26it might actually come to pass?
31:28Your fears from before.
31:30What did we talk about 80% of the time today?
31:32Impeachment.
31:34It happened already.
31:36It's happening already.
31:38Instead of talking about
31:40agrarian reform, instead of talking about
31:42climate change,
31:44we're talking about impeachment.
31:46So what you're asking,
31:48I'm not afraid it's about to happen. It's happened.
31:52Look at today.
31:54We're talking about impeachment
31:56the whole time.
31:58Last question, sir.
32:00When you
32:02uttered those words
32:04that you're not in favor of
32:06impeaching the Vice President,
32:08that happened when it was not yet filed.
32:10You made that very clear.
32:12And yet,
32:14you did say that
32:16it is Congress's constitutional duty
32:18to let the process go.
32:20To let
32:22the impeachment process
32:24proceed as constitutionally mandated.
32:26However,
32:28the outcome is
32:30actually contrary to
32:32what you actually
32:34want, which is not to
32:36impeach the Vice President.
32:38No? Where is it contrary
32:40to what I said?
32:42Because your thoughts was
32:44you do not want
32:46the Vice President to be impeached.
32:48That's what you said before.
32:50Given that,
32:52do you feel that
32:54don't you have
32:56any ill feelings towards
32:58the congressmen who
33:00led to the transmittal
33:02of the impeachment articles?
33:04The congressmen with whom
33:06I said, I'll just repeat it again.
33:08Lahat ng natatawag
33:10kong kaalyado ko sa House of Representatives
33:12wala sa kanila ang nag-file.
33:16But they signed it, sir.
33:18Huh? But they signed it.
33:20Because it's already there.
33:22Nandyan eh.
33:24Ano pang gagawin nila?
33:28And there was a very
33:30clearly a large block in congress
33:32at least 215
33:34who wanted to
33:36sign the impeachment.
33:38They did not file a case because I
33:40asked them not to.
33:46Payikut-ikut na tayo.
33:50I'm sorry?
33:52Mr. President,
33:54did you not ask them not to sign
33:56the impeachment
33:58complaint?
34:00Since na sabi niyo po na
34:02napakiusapan niyo sila.
34:04None of the members of the parties
34:06that we are in alliance
34:08with filed an impeachment complaint.
34:10Yes po, sabi niyo napakiusapan niyo
34:12sila na huwag mag-file kaya wala pong
34:14nag-file na kaalyado ninyo.
34:16Hindi niyo rin po ba sila napakiusapan na huwag
34:18mag-sign dun sa itin
34:20transmit sa Senado?
34:22Wala na akong pakailang dun.
34:24It's already in the house.
34:26That's the house.
34:28Yung congressman na mag-de-decide
34:30kung ano yung gagawin niya.
34:32Dahil pananagutan nga
34:34ng House of Representatives diyan.
34:36Again,
34:38there's
34:40this constant implication that I am
34:42somehow giving instructions and making
34:44utos do this and do that and do that.
34:46That's not the case at all.
34:48That's not how it works. Not at all.
34:50Not at all.
34:52Thank you very much,
34:54Mr. President.