Manila, Philippines – As the House Committee on Justice opened its initial evaluation on the two impeachment complaints against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. today, Vice President Sara Duterte, on the other hand, faces two impeachment complaints as well.
Progressive groups and the Makabayan bloc led the filing of the first complaint, under grounds of betrayal of public trust, still in relation to the alleged misuse of confidential funds as well as issue of transparency and accountability on Duterte’s end.
The group prays for the quick progress of the complaint, hoping that through this, an investigation will commence to hold Duterte accountable of the accusations.
Tindig Pilipinas co-convenor Kiko Aquino Dee and other civil society leaders followed the filing, and initiated the second complaint so far against Duterte.
The complaint endorsed by ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña contains 5 impeachment grounds including constitutional violations, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes, linked with the confidential and intelligence funds, alleged abuse of power, and tolerance of extrajudicial killings.
This was the same group that filed the first impeachment complaint against Duterte last year.
Dee noted that the High Court’s formal dismissal of the complaint over lack of due process and violation of one year bar rule does not aquit Duterte of any charges.
“The Supreme Court itself stated that their ruling does not absolve VP Sara Duterte of the charges. By filing this complaint, we hope to finally get a verdict on the charges against her,” Dee said.
Cendaña supported these statements, emphasizing that impeachment proceedings is a way for Duterte to face the corruption allegations against him.
“The same is true with the cases against VP Sara. Yung pagdodoktor niya ng mga resibo at pagbibigay ng cash gifts sa bidding committee ng DepEd are acts in support of committing greater acts of corruption. No technicality or legal loophole will clear the VP of these charges. The VP must personally answer these cases of corruption and abuse of power. She has not escaped her day of reckoning, she has merely delayed it, ” Cendaña emphasized.
When asked to clarify the filing of the complaint given that the SC’s one year bar ruling will lapse on Februay 6, ayan Muna Chair Neri Colmenares believes that the court’s recent decision also changed the lapsing date of the ruling.
On the other hand, Duterte’s camp said that they have expected the filing of the complaints and expressed preparedness to face the allegations in a proper constitutional process. —Mia Layaguin, Eurotv News