Malacañang stated Monday President Rodrigo Duterte is seeks to challenge present legal guidelines which don’t prolong immunity to sitting Vice Presidents.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque was referring to the feedback by the President final Saturday when he floated the idea of running for vice president in 2022 for immunity since his critics, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, have threatened him with legal costs over drug warfare killings, if not “tolerance” of Chinese incursions throughout the Philippines’ unique financial zone in West Philippine Sea.
“Let us simply say that it is a chance to challenge jurisprudence,” Roque, a lawyer, stated.
Roque didn’t elaborate on the President’s curiosity on immunity from prosecution.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra, nonetheless, already stated final 12 months {that a} sitting vp just isn’t immune from go well with in 2019 for the reason that 1987 Constitution doesn’t present for such.
“The Constitution doesn’t grant the vp immunity from go well with. Since she just isn’t immune from go well with, the vp has to face the fees even throughout her tenure,” Guevarra stated when requested in regards to the sedition and inciting to sedition costs filed towards Vice President Leni Robredo in July 2019 over her alleged hyperlink to a viral video linking Duterte to unlawful drug commerce.
Veteran lawmaker Edcel Lagman of Albay, nonetheless cited two earlier Supreme Court selections permitting the prosecution of then-Vice President Gloria Arroyo to proceed (David. vs. Arroyo and Lozada vs. Arroyo.)
The President additionally stated final Saturday that the mandate of the vp is simply to look ahead to his or her dying since its solely position is to assume the presidency the second the President turns into incapacitated.
Before his celebration mates urged him to run for vp, the Chief Executive has stated prior to now that he’s already drained of being President.
Also on Monday, Roque stated decreasing the actions of President Duterte outdoors of Malacañang Palace and his hometown of Davao City amid the emergence of the extra transmissible Delta variant of coronavirus is on a per state of affairs foundation.
“His motion has lengthy been restricted [due to the pandemic]. It will depend upon the placement of the exercise and its significance,” Roque added. — RSJ, GMA News
