Senator Marcos doubts success of impeachment move vs Aquino

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Ferdinand “Bong-Bong” Marcos Jr. doubts whether any impeachment move against President Aquino would succeed given the timing and the needed number to oust him.

“I don’t think it will prosper simply because the Senate is already very heavily engaged in the impeachment of CJ Corona,” Marcos said on Monday, referring to Chief Justice Renato Corona.

With the Corona trial alone, he said, the Senate has no longer enough time to do its regular legislative work.

“The number (needed to impeach the President), time and scheduling –all of it seems to work against taking up another impeachment complaint,” Marcos said in mixed English and Filipino.

Besides, Marcos said, impeaching Aquino at this point would be seen clearly as “retaliatory” after his allies in the House of Representatives initiated the impeachment bid against Corona.

Marcos could not also say whether the sudden jump of Aquino’s net worth from P15,440,268 in 2009 to P54,999,370 in 2010 would be enough ground to impeach him .

“I don’t know. It’s hard to say. Hindi ko naman alam kung ano mga financial transactions ni President. Malay natin he sold a piece of property o niregaluhan sya (I am not privy to the President’s financial transactions. He may have sold a piece of property or could have received a gift),” he said.

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson welcomed the filing of an impeachment case against the President if opposition members in the House of Representatives have basis for it.

“They should file an impeachment complaint against him if that’s their basis,” said Lacson.