MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte may not support moves to impeach Vice President Leni Robredo even as his allies dominate the House of Representatives, which decides whether or not to endorse a complaint for trial.

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said this Wednesday, noting that Duterte had already thumbed down the idea of having Robredo ousted through impeachment.

“As the president says, any impeachment filed against those who have won the votes should not be pursued because it will only derail the legislative agenda the Congress has. They will be focusing on matter that should not be tackled on at this time,” Panelo told reporters.

Panelo said, the President is against any impeachment move “because it will only not only [cause] damage, it will be destructive for all.”

“Instead of focusing on national concerns, servicing the people, we’ll be engaged in politics. We’ve had enough of that for the last so many decades,” he added.

Duterte has expressed opposition to Robredo's impeachment even as policy conflicts had led the latter to leave his cabinet in December. The Vice President's resignation followed Palace's directive barring her from attending cabinet meetings due to "irreconcilable differences."

Lawyer Bruce Rivera, a known Duterte supporter, on Tuesday filed an impeachment complaint against Robredo, saying she had betrayed public trust when she sent a video message criticizing the government's war on drugs to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

Rivera said Robredo "dishonored" the Filipino people by claiming that 7,000 people have died in the administration's drug war. Government has been asserting that less than half have been killed in legitimate police operations.

The complaint has yet to receive official endorsement from a lawmaker. The document named Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party List Rep. Jericho Nograles as an endorser, but the lawmaker disowned the impeachment, saying he did not know its authors.

Duterte is also facing an impeachment complaint over his controversial drug campaign and his position on the Philippines’ maritime row with China.

The House of Representatives is set to tackle the impeachment complaint against Duterte, filed by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano in March.

Panelo said the complaint may be swiftly dismissed as Duterte's allies dominate the House.

“There’s an overwhelming majority number in Congress that supports the president, as well as the overwhelming majority of Filipinos who support him. The impeachment (against Duterte) was intended for propaganda,” he said.