Makabayan lawmakers send invitations for meeting on Sara Duterte impeachment complaints

MANILA — Lawmakers from the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives have sent invitations for a meeting with other endorsers and complainants in the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

The invitation letters were signed by ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro, Gabriela Party List Representative Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel, who all endorsed the second impeachment complaint against Duterte.

A copy of the letter states that the meeting-consultation will seek to discuss the complaints and agree on a united push for the Marcos Jr. administration and the House leadership to get the impeachment process moving. 

The meeting is scheduled on Wednesday, January 8 at the Minority Conference Room of the House of Representatives, at 10 a.m.

“As fellow advocates for good governance and public accountability- in particular, Vice President Duterte’s accountability to the people- we hope that we can discuss in this meeting our impeachment complaints and agree on efforts to push the Marcos administration and the House of Representatives leadership to move the impeachment process along,” the letter stated.

Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, who represents the complainants in the third impeachment complaint against Duterte, previously expressed openness to meeting with other complainants and endorsers, noting that while they do not personally know each other, they are “bound by a common cause”.

Akbayan Party List Representative Percival Cendaña, who endorsed the first impeachment complaint, meanwhile, said he has yet to receive a copy of the invitation as of 4pm Monday. Cendaña added that he has “prior commitments this week”, but once he received the invitation, he will confer with the complainants regarding the meeting.

As of last week, the three impeachment complaints against Duterte were still with the Office of the House Secretary General, and have yet to be referred to the Office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said that the complaints were still undergoing verification by his office’s legal team, and it is expected to submit a recommendation Monday.