House official to transmit Duterte impeachment raps this week

Metro Manila, Philippines - The impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte will be transmitted to the Office of the House Speaker this week, just as Congress will go on break for the elections, an official said on Monday, Feb. 3.

Three impeachment cases against Duterte filed in December have stayed at the office of House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.

In January, he said a fourth impeachment complaint with 103 signatures from lawmakers was in the works, but has yet to materialize.

“We will have to transmit the impeachment complaints within this week… Meron talagang nagbabalak pero [Some have been planning for a fourth complaint but] up to now, wala pa [none yet]. So, we will have to act on it (three impeachment complaints),” Velasco said.

The supposed fourth complaint was seen to do away with the hearing as it would be immediately transmitted to the Senate for trial. An endorsement of at least one-third of the House, or 103 members, is needed to do this.

The counsel of the third case petitioners, Amando Ligutan, said it is “high time” Velasco act on the cases.

“History will not be kind to those who give a free pass to the vice president’s infractions for political convenience,” he said.

For ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, one of the endorsers of the second ouster complaint, the secretary general’s move is “long overdue.”

The Makabayan party-list bloc has launched a signature drive to gather the minimum number to hasten transmittal to the Senate.

Malacañang, meanwhile, said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not meddle with House duties.

“The power to initiate and act on impeachment complaints is the sole prerogative of the House of Representatives,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said. “Out of respect for institutions, the president will not interfere in a matter over which a co-equal branch has exclusive jurisdiction.”

Earlier, the Makabayan party-list bloc said Marcos is blocking the impeachment complaints when he messaged congressmen, discouraging an ouster case. The president denied the opposition lawmakers’ claim.

The grounds cited in the three cases against Duterte are plunder, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust.

The House good government and public accountability committee has been holding inquiries on the vice president’s P612.5-million confidential fund, which was allegedly misused.