Marcos agrees with Enrile on INC stand
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday agreed with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile that the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally last Monday opposing calls to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte could set a "very detrimental precedent." Enrile had questioned the implications of the rally at Rizal Park in Manila, which drew 1.8 million INC followers. "Are we prepared to discard or sacrifice the value of the rule of law for a person or a group of persons?" he said. Interviewed by reporters during an event in Burauen, Leyte, the president said Enrile "is one of our best legal thinkers in the country. And he is right; there is a consequence to — there will be a precedent, and it will be very problematic." He acknowledged that Congress has no choice but to go through the impeachment process if the complaints are filed. But he added: "I don't think that now is the time to go through that. So, let us leave it to the... because as a practical matter, we are heading into the campaign period," Marcos said. Because many senators and congressmen will be on the campaign trail, "we won't be able to form a quorum," he said. He added that the timing of the impeachment complaints was "very poor." Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that while the president did not support the calls to impeach Duterte, he takes Enrile's opinion very seriously. "The President has always nurtured a culture of open ventilation of ideas within the Cabinet," Bersamin said, adding that Enrile's thoughts "may carry weight and are always valued"; his views are "one of many that the President seriously considers." "Nonetheless, the President's stand on the issue concerned remains unchanged," Bersamin said. The INC has insisted that its rally was not political, even if it was meant to support Marcos' stance rejecting the impeachment of Duterte. Marcos has asserted he would not support any impeachment move against the vice president since it would not benefit the lives of Filipinos. Duterte is facing three impeachment complaints in the House of Representatives. The charges include culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes. All three complaints allege that she misused millions of pesos in confidential funds as vice president and during her term as Department of Education secretary.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday agreed with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile that the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally last Monday opposing calls to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte could set a "very detrimental precedent."
Enrile had questioned the implications of the rally at Rizal Park in Manila, which drew 1.8 million INC followers.
"Are we prepared to discard or sacrifice the value of the rule of law for a person or a group of persons?" he said.
Interviewed by reporters during an event in Burauen, Leyte, the president said Enrile "is one of our best legal thinkers in the country. And he is right; there is a consequence to — there will be a precedent, and it will be very problematic."
He acknowledged that Congress has no choice but to go through the impeachment process if the complaints are filed.
But he added: "I don't think that now is the time to go through that. So, let us leave it to the... because as a practical matter, we are heading into the campaign period," Marcos said.
Because many senators and congressmen will be on the campaign trail, "we won't be able to form a quorum," he said.
He added that the timing of the impeachment complaints was "very poor."
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said that while the president did not support the calls to impeach Duterte, he takes Enrile's opinion very seriously.
"The President has always nurtured a culture of open ventilation of ideas within the Cabinet," Bersamin said, adding that Enrile's thoughts "may carry weight and are always valued"; his views are "one of many that the President seriously considers."
"Nonetheless, the President's stand on the issue concerned remains unchanged," Bersamin said.
The INC has insisted that its rally was not political, even if it was meant to support Marcos' stance rejecting the impeachment of Duterte.
Marcos has asserted he would not support any impeachment move against the vice president since it would not benefit the lives of Filipinos.
Duterte is facing three impeachment complaints in the House of Representatives.
The charges include culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes.
All three complaints allege that she misused millions of pesos in confidential funds as vice president and during her term as Department of Education secretary.
