Malacañang will not interfere in matters related to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in the Senate, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said.
On Thursday, the Palace official was asked if the executive branch had a comment on what the framers of the Constitution said was an “unreasonable” delay over the impeachment trial in the Senate.
“We will not interfere — the President, the executive department will not interfere with the Senate’s work,” Castro said in an interview.
Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero has set the start of the impeachment trial tentatively on 30 July.
Castro said the Vice President’s impeachment has not been discussed by the President with his team over the past few days.
“Actually, we didn’t really talk about that during the past few days I had with the President. In meetings, we didn’t talk about that,” she said.
Castro added that the work of the government, as well as finding immediate solutions for the country’s problems, was tackled more than other topics.
“We are more likely to talk about immediate tasks and immediate solutions to other problems,” she said.
In an interview in February, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the Senate could ask him to call a special session but he had not received such a request.
Duterte was impeached on 5 February on allegations of corruption, plotting to assassinate the President, possible involvement in extrajudicial killings, and inciting to insurrection and public disorder.