Senate Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito on Monday clarified his earlier remarks regarding the ongoing impeachment proceedings, stressing that the politically charged issue should be expedited so the government can focus on more urgent national concerns.
Ejercito explained that his previous comment expressing opposition to impeachment stemmed from frustration over the country’s slow progress compared to its neighbors.
“Kaya ko po nabanggit na sabi … out of frustration, na hindi ako pabor sa impeachment or lalo sa mga political squabble dahil napag-iiwanan tayo ng mga karatig-bansa natin,” he told reporters.
Over the weekend, Ejercito posted about a motorcade in Davao de Oro, thanking residents for their warm reception.
A netizen later commented that he would always be welcome in the province, provided he would not support the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Ejercito responded:
“Mula noon ‘di po ako pabor sa impeachment dahil very divisive at nakakadagdag sagabal sa tunay na kaunlaran.”
Speaking to reporters, the senator emphasized that impeachment proceedings involving two of the country’s highest-ranking officials create a perception of political instability that could negatively affect investor confidence.
“We’re already losing out our foreign direct investors to countries like Thailand, Indonesia, and lalo sa Vietnam. They’re getting more than double of what we’re getting. Ngayon nababawasan pa tayo,” he said.
Despite his reservations, Ejercito underscored that if the impeachment complaints against Duterte are formally transmitted to the Senate, he would fulfill his constitutional role as a senator-judge.
“As senator-judges, impeachment is our constitutional duty. We will do our job,” he said in a social media post.
During the February 5, 2025 impeachment proceedings against Duterte, which the Supreme Court of the Philippines later declared unconstitutional, Ejercito voted to return the articles of impeachment to the House of Representatives, citing concerns over a possible violation of the constitutional one-year bar rule.
He also voted during the 20th Congress to archive the impeachment case following the High Court’s ruling.
At present, three impeachment complaints have been filed against Duterte, two of which have been deemed sufficient in form by the House Committee on Justice.