Nelson Morales

Thousands attend rallies calling for House action on Sara Duterte impeachment complaints

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

Movers and supporters of the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte gathered Friday morning near the EDSA People Power monument to urge Congress to act on the complaints filed last December. Organizers estimate around 10,000 attended the rally. But police estimate is lower, at around 4,000 attendees as of 11 a.m. Attendees occupied two lanes along White Plains Avenue. Among the groups that participated in the rally are Akbayan, Magdalo, Tindig Pilipinas, and the family of victims in the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war. Most of them wore white shirts and carried placards and banners calling to oust the Vice President over alleged misuse of confidential funds—an allegation Duterte previously denied. “Para sa amin, guilty na guilty si VP Sara. Kung hindi sumasang-ayon yung House, sabihin nyo na… Sabihin nyo na tama yung paglulustay ng pera ng bayan. At para magkaalaman na ang lahat. So, para sa amin, please hear the impeachment now. Do your jobs,” said Kiko Aquino Dee, a complainant in the first impeachment complaint against VP Duterte. &quot;Anong petsa na? Dumaan ng Pasko, ang Bagong Taon, natapos pati Chinese New Year, pero hanggang ngayon, ang ating impeachment complaint ay natutulog pa rin sa Office of the Secretary General... Huwag tayong magpatakot, huwag tayong magpabully! Aksyunan na natin ang impeachment... We cannot have another day na si VP Sara ang ating Vice President, kasi she&#x27;s a heartbeat away from the presidency at nilalagay natin sa peligro ang ating bayan,” Akbayan Party List Rep. Percival Cendaña, the endorser of the first impeachment complaint, said. This morning’s program featured a mass officiated, followed by statements from impeachment complainants, sectoral leaders, and cultural presentations. Over 400 policemen were deployed to ensure peace and order during the rally. QCPD Station 8 Commander PLTCOL Angelito de Juan said the rally was generally peaceful and no untoward incident was reported. Light rains prompted some rallyists to leave before the program ended around noon.Another rally that started at 2 p.m. Friday at the EDSA Shrine echoed the same call. It was led by the Clergy and Citizens For Good Governance, that also criticized the 2025 national budget. “‘Yung 2025 national budget, naniniwala tayo na ito ay reflection ng matinding corruption… Talagang pinrioritize ‘yung interes ng pulitiko. We have a lot of issues na gusto natin i-raise ang constitutionality nito.... Itong mga programa na ito ay idinesign para isulong ang patronage politics.... Sana kumilos na ang ating Kongreso hinggil sa impeachment ni VP Sara,” Cielo Magno, part of the group’s steering committee, said. Two weeks ago, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that now is not the time to go through the impeachment process, citing the difficulty of getting a quorum as the campaign season nears. Some congressmen previously recognized the challenges that the impeachment process may face, but also said they will perform their duty once the complaints are referred to the House Committee on Justice. “I think the issue on conviction is of the challenge really. ‘Yan talaga ang pinaka-number one na challenge... The Senate, most of them will be focused campaigning in the coming days. So that would also be a challenge for the impeachment court to be able to deliver according to the Constitutional mandate kasi nga… most of them are also busy campaigning. So, we cannot compromise the merits of the complaint simply because of the unavailability of a senator judge,” House Assistant Majority Leader and Lanao del Sur 1st district Representative Zia Alonto Adiong said last Wednesday. “We, as members, we would have to wait for its eventual endorsement to the Committee on Justice… I don&#x27;t think the Congress will shy away from its Constitutional duty. I don&#x27;t think I&#x27;ve heard any member, who would say no to it if it were to already be endorsed to that committee,” 1RIDER Party List Representative Rodge Gutierrez added.

Movers and supporters of the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte gathered Friday morning near the EDSA People Power monument to urge Congress to act on the complaints filed last December.

Movers and supporters of the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte gathered Friday morning near the EDSA People Power monument to urge Congress to act on the complaints filed last December.