While the Supreme Court (SC) declared the impeachment process against Vice President Sara Duterte as unconstitutional, it did not say there was no wrongdoing, President Marcos said.

In a post-State Visit press briefing in India on Friday, Aug. 8, Marcos pointed out that the SC ruling has no bearing on the rightness or wrongness of the merits of the impeachment case, emphasizing that there was no trial to determine whether the corruption allegations were true or not.

"We have to make very, very clear to everyone that the Supreme Court decision does not have any bearing on the rightness or wrongness of the merits of the impeachment case," Marcos said.

"They're not saying that there was no wrongdoing. Neither are they saying that there was no wrongdoing. Neither are they saying that there was wrongdoing. All they're saying is that you did not handle it properly. That's it," Marcos added. 

Marcos stressed that the Supreme Court only said the handling of the impeachment case initiated by the House of Representatives was not right.

"Again, there has been no trial. So the merits of the case have not been examined, tried, adjudicated, argued, discussed. So, accountability just doesn't come into it. People have to understand, it is a procedural question," Marcos said.

"That's why accountability just doesn't come into it here. It's an entirely, highly tangential matter. It is not a central point in the discussion," Marcos added, stressing that the public must understand this. 

Despite the Senate voted to archive the Articles of Impeachment, adhering to the SC decision, Marcos believes that the corruption allegations will still be investigated, considering that they are now approaching the budget process season.

"It does not question our accountability whatsoever. Ang koho na dyan, they can examine all of this. And much of this will be, I'm sure, because we are coming up to the budget process. Palagay ko maglalabasan na naman lahat ‘yan (I think all of it will again resurface)," he said.

"[W]e have already COA, we have already all of this. I'm sure the House and the Senate will start to conduct further investigations on this because it's really within their purview. So we have all of the mechanisms that are available to us in terms of checks and balances," he added. 

"All we have to do is to try and get some answers."

When sought for reaction on the Senate archiving the Articles of Impeachment, Marcos maintained that he has no role to play on it and that he cannot get himself involved.

 "I keep telling you, the executive has no role in this. The President has no role. I'm an impeachable officer. I cannot involve myself in any of this. So, wala, it's really the Supreme Court, the Senate, and the House. So, that's where the decisions were made on the issues between the House, the Senate, and the Supreme Court," he said.

"The Supreme Court has decided, and like I've said, that's it. The Supreme Court has decided," he further said.