A second impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte is filed before the House secretary general, endorsed by three congressmen from the Makabayan bloc. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News MANILA — Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives condemned on Wednesday the “delay” in processing the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, attributing it to the supposed “interference” of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through his public statements against the ouster bid.

Palace: Marcos Jr. firm on position on calls to impeach Sara Duterte 

In a joint statement, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro, House Assistant Minority Leader and Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel called on their colleagues in Congress to “assert their constitutional mandate and not allow the Executive to dictate the pace and outcome of these impeachment proceedings”. 

As of January 14, the three impeachment complaints filed against Duterte last December have yet to be forwarded to the Office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez, as House Secretary General Reginald Velasco waits for a possible fourth impeachment complaint. Congressmen behind the possible fourth complaint are supposedly targeting to get the endorsement of one-third of the House members. Velasco previously said he will possibly wait for the complaint until January 23.

Makabayan working to get votes to send VP Duterte impeachment reso to Senate 

“We, the Makabayan bloc representatives, strongly condemn the unprecedented delay in processing the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte. Never in the history of Congress have we witnessed impeachment complaints languishing in the Secretary General's office for more than a month,” the Makabayan lawmakers said in a statement. 

“The hesitation to transmit and initiate impeachment proceedings clearly stems from President Marcos Jr.'s previous statements admitting that he indeed told his allies not to file an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte as it was “not important” and won’t make a difference in Filipinos’ lives,” they added. 

“This interference represents a dangerous obstruction of constitutional processes and democratic accountability. President Marcos Jr. has proven himself to be the biggest stumbling block to achieving accountability in corruption cases involving the Vice President's confidential funds,” Castro, Brosas and Manuel said. 

They reminded the House Secretary General that “the Constitution mandates that impeachment proceedings must be initiated upon proper filing of complaints”.

Makabayan working to get votes to send VP Duterte impeachment reso to Senate 

Bayan President Renato Reyes Jr., who is also a complainant in one of the impeachment complaints, shared the Makabayan solons’ sentiment, urging lawmakers to prioritize the need to hold public officials accountable over political considerations. 

“The SecGen’s role is ministerial, not discretionary yet not a single complaint has been transmitted to the Speaker for proper referral. Why the delay? It is clearly because of the statements of the President asking Congress not to pursue the impeachment process now. He has repeatedly shown his disdain for impeachment as a mode of accountability for corrupt public officials,” Reyes said. 

“The stench of corruption involving public funds has angered the people who are reeling from a severe economic crisis. The public wants to see the cases move forward and not be delayed any further. It has been 2 weeks since congress resumed session with 2 weeks left before they go on a break. The so-called “lack of material time” is the fault of no one but the President who has been obstructing the process. The complainants have fulfilled their constitutional duty as citizens. It’s time Congress performs its,” he added. 

Some lawmakers from the House majority rejected claims that the President’s statements triggered delays in the impeachment process at the lower chamber. 

Last November, Marcos Jr. confirmed sending a text message to allies at the House of Representatives to discourage the filing impeachment complaints against the Vice President, calling it a “waste of time”. Last Friday, the President said the timing of the ouster bid is “very poor”, noting that it will be difficult to get a “quorum” with the May elections nearing.

Palace distances from impeachment raps vs VP Sara Duterte 

“Hindi naman po totoo ‘yun na bina-block ng Pangulo… Sabi nga po inaantay ‘yung iba pang complaints para minsanan na ma-tackle if ever na may oras pa tayo. ‘Yun ang nagiging concern talaga ‘yung oras na natitira sa atin,” House Deputy Majority Leader and La Union 1st District Representative Francisco Paolo Ortega V said. 

“Hindi naman siguro malamig, pero hindi pa siya napag-uusapan. Dahil nga sa time element, medyo hindi pa namin nakikita na angkop siya sa ngayon. But… we still have two weeks. A lot can happen,” he added. 

Hindi ako naniniwalang may interference (ang Pangulo),” House Quad Committee Lead Co-Chairperson and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Representative Robert Ace Barbers said.

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