FILE 鈥� Session at the House of Representatives. Photo by JOAN BONDOC/Philippine Daiy Inquirer)
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday said the three impeachment complaints against the President, Vice President and the Ombudsman could prove too much to handle for the House of Representatives.
In an ambush interview, Alvarez told reporters that the House is left with four weeks before the end of first regular session on June 2. Congress will resume session for the President鈥檚 State of the Nation Address (Sona) in July.
Asked if the lower House, where impeachment proceedings are initiated, could handle the deluge of impeachment complaints, Alvarez said: 鈥淒efinitely not. Mahihirapan tayo kasi dapat nating alalahanin na end of the month e recess na yung Congress nun.鈥�
(It would be difficult for the House because it would go into recess at the end of the month.)
Alvarez said the House leadership would prioritize only the impeachment complaint filed against President Rodrigo Duterte, before the Lower House would be preoccupied with deliberations on the national budget at the start of the second regular session.
鈥淎ng balik natin Sona na. Tapos pagpasok ng Sona ay yung budget hearing naman. So yan ay tatakbo hanggang November siguro yan bago ma-approve yung budget, so wala na rin tayong鈥edyo kakapusin tayo sa panahon,鈥� Alvarez said.
(We would return just in time for Sona. After that, the budget hearings, which would run up to November before the approval of the budget鈥� So we would really run out of time.)
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Alvarez said the lower House justice committee would determine whether there is form and substance in the two impeachment complaints filed and endorsed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, a vocal critic of the President.
Alejano filed the two听impeachment听complaints against Duterte for his alleged role in the supposed state-sponsored killings and the Davao Death Squad, as well as his alleged inaction to uphold the country鈥檚 sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, Panatag Shoal and Benham Rise amid the administration鈥檚 improving diplomatic relations with China.
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鈥淲ell yung unang nai-file na impeachment against the President, kailangan i-tackle na siguro yun. Kasi na refer na yun sa committee on justice. So dapat the committee on justice must act on it,鈥� Alvarez said.
(Well, the first impeachment filed against the President should be tackled first. That has been referred to the committee on justice. So the committee on justice must act on it.)
Alvarez admitted that he was approached by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) to endorse its draft impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales over criticisms she is partial in investigating corruption complaints against allies of the former president Benigno Aquino III.
鈥淭otoo yan, pinapa-endorso nila sa akin. Kaya lang sabi ko nag pag-aaralan ko yang mabuti,鈥� Alvarez said of the draft complaint, which is still not filed because there is no endorser.
(That鈥檚 true, they鈥檙e asking me to endorse it. I said I will study it carefully.)
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In a press conference Tuesday, independent minority lawmaker Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman reminded the House justice committee that it is duty bound under the Constitution to tackle duly endorsed impeachment complaints even if it involves the President.
Lagman reacted to reports that justice panel chairperson Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali would dispose of the impeachment complaints against Duterte because these do not have the numbers to proceed. The lower House is dominated by a supermajority composed of administration allies.
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鈥淲hat we鈥檙e saying, as far as we鈥檙e concerned, the complaint is sufficient in form and substance, and committee must conduct the hearing as mandated by the Constitution,鈥� Lagman said.
Definitely, the Liberal Party lawmakers (LP) would oppose the filing of an impeachment complaint against the LP鈥檚 titular head Vice President Leni Robredo, Lagman said.
鈥淚t goes without saying that as members of the LP, we will oppose very strongly any complaint against the Vice President. Because in the first place, the complaint has actually no basis,鈥� Lagman said.
Robredo听was also threatened with impeachment complaints by Marcos loyalists and Duterte supporters for her video critical of the administration鈥檚 war on drugs which was sent to a United Nations body.
Alvarez has branded Robredo as 鈥渟hameless鈥� and liable for the impeachable offense of betrayal of public trust for painting the country before the international community in a bad light.
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Robredo鈥檚 impeachment听complaints, however, have not yet been filed and endorsed by a member of Congress.听Impeachment complaints filed by private individuals should be duly endorsed by a congressman/congresswoman.
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Robredo鈥檚 first impeachment complaint was endorsed for the Speaker鈥檚 support by Oliver Lozano and Melchor Chavez, both loyalists of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The dictator鈥檚 son Bongbong Marcos is Robredo鈥檚 political rival who filed an electoral protest after his defeat in the vice presidential race against Robredo.
Meanwhile, the second impeachment complaint against Robredo by lawyers Bruce Rivera and Trixie Cruz-Angeles faced a setback because the complaint bore the name of would-be endorser PBA Rep. Jericho Nograles, who denied agreeing to the endorsement. He accused the lawyers of misrepresentation.
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