Vice President Sara Duterte (Noel Pabalate/ MANILA BULLETIN)

Ranking congressmen agree with President Marcos' pronouncement that it would be "poor timing" for Congress to pursue the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte right now. 

Sharing the Chief Executive's sentiments were Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua, Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, and Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr.

There are three impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Duterte at the House of Representatives. However, there are very few session days left in the current 19th Congress, especially with the campaign period for the 2025 mid-term elections set to be begin on Feb. 11.

"Yes [I agree with the President]. By February national campaign will kick in. Congress will go on a recess. Congressmen will be busy campaigning in their respective districts," Chua said.

Chua chairs the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability--the same panel that has taken the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd) to task for alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds under Duterte’s watch.

The existing impeachment raps have cited the findings of the months-long panel inquiry as justification to unseat the lady official. 

At any rate, Chua said his panel intends to continue the inquiry on confidential funds misuse.

"But I do not know once the campaign period starts if I will still be able to muster a quorum," said.

Abante, one of the co-chairmen of the vaunted House quad-committee (quad-comm), says that the impeachment process against the Vice President is better left to solons in the 19th Congress. 

"I've said before that I don't think we're ready for that yet...In reality, though, there's no time left," said Abante, also the chairman of the Committee on Human Rights. 

He noted that even if the House managed to quickly send the articles of impeachment to the Senate, there's no guarantee that it will prosper there.

"It's already campaign season, the elections are near. And then it will be transmitted to the Senate. And we're not even sure if the Senate will take it up."

The 23 senators will convene as senator-judges to try Duterte if and when the impeachment case gets forwarded to the upper chamber.

For Barbers, President Marcos' remarks regarding Vice President Duterte was a statement of policy that the 300-plus strong House must carefully think through.

“Tingin ko it’s a policy na dapat pagnilayan ng bawat miyembro. Tingnan ng mga gustong mag-endorso, pag-aralan din iyan, pag-isipang mabuti. Para sa akin it is a policy,” said the overall chairman of the quad-comm.

(I think it's a policy that each member must give serious reflection to. Those who want to endorse it, they must study it and think about it. For me it is a policy.)