Veteran lawmaker and long-time Duterte ally, Rodante Marcoleta, has expressed hope that his colleagues in the House of Representatives will heed President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s advice amid the looming protest from the influential Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) against efforts to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.

The Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), a powerful institution with millions of followers nationwide, has announced plans to hold a nationwide rally in support of President Marcos’ call for members of Congress to refrain from initiating or supporting any moves to remove Vice President Sara Duterte from office.

The Christian group announced earlier this week in a broadcast report that they supported Marcos' position, stressing that there are more urgent national issues to address than the proposed impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“The Iglesia ni Cristo is for peace. We don't want any kind of turmoil coming from any side. As early as now, locales of the Iglesia have organized big gatherings. This is to show our support for President Bongbong Marcos Jr.'s ‘no to impeachment’ opinion,” said the host of an INC-owned television station, reading from the statement of the religious group.

The INC’s influence in Philippine politics spans several decades, with its leaders strategically positioning the church as a significant political force.

Backed by the INC, the Marcos-Duterte tandem secured a landslide victory in the May 2022 elections. 

Marcos: impeachment waste of time

Despite his fractured alliance with Duterte, Marcos confirmed that he had urged his allies in the House — dominated by the VP’s critics — not to pursue impeachment complaints against her. He described such efforts as a "waste of time," stressing that they would "not improve a single Filipino life."

Marcos insisted that it would only tie down the House and the Senate “for nothing.” 

Marcoleta, one of the few allies of Duterte in the lower chamber, thanked the President for declaring his opposition although “he cannot direct the House of Representatives.”

“He can't order us, he will bypass [Congress]. But the President is completely airing his opinion. I hope my colleagues can hear that,” he said in an interview posted on his Facebook page. 

“Perhaps what [he said] is not that much.  It's not that I underestimate our compatriots, but it didn't come from just a carpenter, most especially not from a sabungero but from someone who happened to be the highest leader of our country,” Marcoleta said in a separate interview. 

The seasoned lawmaker deemed the impeachment complaints “useless,” and that it would only consume a lot of time that could be better utilized to craft and pass pending bills. 

Two impeachment complaints already

On Friday, Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña, the endorser of the first impeachment complaint, said that he respects the INC’s position in the same way that it should also honor the clamor of various sectors, including other religious groups that lobbied for the petition. 

In two days, Duterte was slapped with two impeachment complaints filed by a coalition of various organizations and endorsed by minority lawmakers, including Cendaña and Representatives France Castro, Arlene Brosas, and Raoul Manuel of the Makabayan bloc.

The Makabayan bloc announced that it launched a signature drive to muster the required vote of one-third of or equivalent to 106 House members to expedite the impeachment proceedings and lead to its eventual transmittal to the Senate. 

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco stated that he has not yet transmitted the two petitions to the Speaker's office, citing reports that some congressmen plan to file an additional impeachment complaint next week.

“There are congressmen who have talked to me that they are thinking of filing or endorsing [another impeachment complaint] So we are on hold. We are waiting maybe [on] Monday… So we respect their decision,” Velasco told reporters on Thursday. 

Previously, administration lawmakers expressed doubts about the impeachment complaints' chances of success, citing potential time constraints due to the upcoming mid-term elections.

House leaders also contended that although impeachment proceedings against Duterte are not part of the chamber's agenda, they asserted that Congress is “duty-bound” to act on complaints lodged by ordinary Filipino citizens regardless of possible challenges and limitations, not even Marcos’ marching orders.

Duterte is under scrutiny over allegations of irregularities in her use of P650 million in confidential funds, which are reportedly backed by fictitious acknowledgment receipts.

The complainants in the impeachment petitions are seeking the indictment of Vice President Sara Duterte on charges of graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes—grounds for impeachment, excluding treason.

Impeachment 101

The Constitution mandates that the House Secretary General refer the impeachment complaint to the House Speaker. Within 10 session days from receipt, the complaint must be included in the Order of Business.

Afterward, the complaint must be referred to the House Committee on Justice within three session days, which will then assess whether the complaint is sufficient in form and substance.

Within 60 session days, the panel shall submit its report to the plenary. The House then has 10 session days to calendar it for resolution.

However, based on the House calendar, Congress will only have nine session days when it reconvenes on 13 January next year after a month-long holiday break. By 7 February, Congress will adjourn again for the election campaign. 

After the May 2025 polls, sessions will resume from 2 to 13 June, one month thereafter a new batch of lawmakers will be sworn in.  

Nonetheless, the House could also expedite the impeachment process by garnering at least 1/3 votes in favor of the resolution. 

This represents the support of 106 members in the current House. Once approved, the resolution will be forwarded to the Senate for trial.