Why Sandro Marcos was first to sign VP Sara impeachment

Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos said it should not come as a surprise that he was the first to sign the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

In an interview, the son of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. said the Chief Executive told him to do his duty as a member of the House of Representatives when the impeachment complaint was up for signatures.

As to why he was the first to sign?

"Alangan naman kung sasabihin ng tao na gusto silang hukayin yung lolo mo at itapon ‘yung katawan sa West Philippine Sea, sasabihin niya gusto niyang patayin ang Pangulo at ang First Lady na aking [mga] magulang at gusto niyang patayin ang Speaker, eh bakit naman nagugulat ang tao na pipirma ko diyan?" Sandro said.

(If someone says they want to dig up your grandfather's remains and throw it into the West Philippine Sea, that she wants to kill the President and the First Lady who are my parents, and that she wants to kill the Speaker, why would it be a surprise that I'd sign?)

He was referring to the statement of the Vice President that she already contracted someone to kill the President, his wife Liza Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez in the event that she is killed.

The Vice President has said her remarks indicated "a supposed conditional act of revenge" and didn't constitute an active threat.

As regards his father's advice regarding the impeachment complaint against the Vice President, Sandro said, "My father said, 'Do your duty as a congressman and uphold your oath to the constitution that you swore to protect.'"

"And it is my constitutional duty to go through the impeachment process as an elected representative," Sandro said.

Sandro said the Vice President's words should not be taken lightly "especially from someone with such a high position."

He said that if someone said she'd dig up her grandfather's remains, "of course I’ll be the first one to sign."

Sandro's grandfather is former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

He denied spearheading the gathering of signatures for the impeachment complaint. 

Sandro said the lawmakers were not forced or induced with perks to sign the impeachment complaint.  

“I was given the opportunity to sign and I did sign, but I did not spearhead any movement. I did not try to convince anyone to sign,” Sandro said.

“They did that on their own volition. I did ask for their opinion if they are going to sign or not but that is about as far as my involvement in collecting the signatures,” he added.

Sandro said talk of lawmakers signing the complaint in exchange for favors was fake news.

“That is a part of their smear campaign to discredit the movement, you can't blame them. Alam naman natin kung sino ang amo nila (We know who their boss is). But no, there was nothing offered in exchange for the signatures,” Sandro said.

“I was there in the room when the Articles of Impeachment were being discussed and then people were given the choice to sign or not. But whether there was any exchange or any monetary offer any other given to them in exchange, walang ganun na ibinigay (they were not given anything),” he added.

Sandro said that the 215 initial number of complainants already reached 240 since the additional lawmakers’ signatures came in later since they were not physically present on February 4. 

The 215 House members who signed off as complainants are already more than the one-third of the House members required to send the complaint to the Senate which will serve as an impeachment court. —NB, GMA Integrated News