Kabataan Social gathering-Checklist Rep. Sarah Elago. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.internet FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — Completely different people and teams concerned within the submitting of impeachment raps in opposition to Vice President Sara Duterte lauded the Home of Representatives’ choice to maneuver with the complaints, calling it an preliminary victory in opposition to corruption and misuse of public funds.
Gabriela party-list nominee and former Kabataan lawmaker Sarah Elago mentioned that whereas this alerts a win for the battle in opposition to corruption, the transmittal of the impeachment grievance to the Senate opens up one other chapter.
Elago was one of many a number of people who trooped to the Home to file the second impeachment grievance in opposition to Duterte final December 2024.
“The historic impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte by the Home of Representatives is an preliminary victory for the Filipino individuals of their relentless battle in opposition to corruption and abuse of energy. This transfer is the direct results of mounting public outrage over the misuse of confidential funds and the betrayal of public belief,” Elago mentioned in a press release.
“The transmission of the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate opens a brand new chapter in our pursuit of accountability. We name on our Senators to meet their constitutional obligation and conduct a good, thorough, and clear impeachment trial,” she added.
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Bagong Alyansang Makabayan chairperson Teddy Casiño, additionally one of many complainants, mentioned that progressive teams commend the Home for fulfilling its obligation to carry officers accountable — even when it came visiting two months after the primary complaints had been filed.
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“We commend the members of the Home for fulfilling their sacred obligation to carry the very best officers of the land accountable for his or her wrongdoings. Whereas it might need been a buzzer beater, contemplating that the impeachments had been filed again in December, the shift in temperament nailed the accountability of VP Duterte for her misdeeds,” Casiño mentioned.
“With the Articles of Impeachment now within the Senate, we urge the higher physique to instantly represent themselves into an impeachment court docket to attempt Duterte for her impeachable acts,” he added.
Former senator Leila de Lima who acts as spokesperson for the primary set of complainants additionally praised the Home, whereas additionally clarifying that the complaints in opposition to Duterte are by no means private, however solely borne out of a pursuit for accountability.
“Ang impeachment na ito ay hindi private na laban – hindi ito tungkol lamang kay VP Sara – hindi rin ito dapat tinuturing na pulitika. Ito ay laban ng mamamayang Pilipino sa pang-aabuso, katiwalian, at pagwawalang-bahala sa ating mga institusyon – iyong mga pambabastos, kawalan ng respeto sa mga proseso na nilagay sa ating saligang-batas,” de Lima mentioned.
(This impeachment just isn’t a private battle — this not solely about VP Sara — and this shouldn’t be thought of as politics. It is a battle of Filipinos in opposition to abuse, corruption, and disrespect of our establishments — desecration and lack of respect for our processes acknowledged in our Structure.)
“Maliwanag ang mga paratang laban kay VP Duterte — ang mabilis na paglustay ng milyun-milyong confidential funds nang walang maayos na paliwanag, ang paggamit ng posisyon para sa pansariling interes, at ang lantad na pagtatangkang sirain ang mga prosesong nagsisiguro ng pananagutan sa gobyerno. Malinaw na mga paglabag ito sa Konstitusyon, at tahasang pagtataksil sa tiwalang ibinigay ng taumbayan,” she added.
(The allegations in opposition to VP Duterte are clear: the fast expenditures of confidential funds with out correct rationalization, using place for private pursuits, and the try to destroy processes that guarantee accountability in authorities. It’s clear that these are violations of the Structure, and that is an apparent betrayal of public belief.)
Lawyer Amando Ligutan, counsel for the third batch of complainants, in the meantime reminded individuals defending Duterte that surveys have proven that extra Filipinos are in favor of eradicating the Vice President from workplace.
“No, the aim of her impeachment is to carry the Vice President accountable for her unlawful disbursement of the hundreds of thousands of pesos of confidential funds, amongst different misdeeds,” Ligutan mentioned. “And opposite to their declare, per the newest survey extra Filipinos are in favor of impeachment than these against it. Numbers don’t lie.”
On Wednesday, over the past session day earlier than Congress goes on a break for the election season, it was introduced that over one-third of all Home members have signed and endorsed the impeachment grievance.
Majority Chief Manuel Jose Dalipe moved that further references of enterprise for the day be learn, throughout which Home Secretary Common Reginald Velasco introduced {that a} fourth impeachment grievance was filed, which was endorsed by 215 lawmakers who swore earlier than him.
That is means above the minimal requirement below the Structure for the fast-tracking of complaints, which is one-thirds or 102 of all 306 Home members.
With the signatures being greater than sufficient, Home Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez accredited the movement to ship the impeachment complaints in opposition to Duterte to the Senate for a trial.
Points cited within the earlier impeachment raps in opposition to Vice President Sara Duterte — her threats in opposition to the President and different officers and confidential fund (CF) points together with her places of work — had been used as grounds for the fourth grievance.
Copies of the fourth impeachment grievance confirmed that there have been seven articles of impeachment:
- Betrayal of public belief, fee of excessive crimes attributable to her threats to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Woman Liza Araneta Marcos, and Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez
- Betrayal of public belief and graft and corruption attributable to misuse of CFs inside the Division of Schooling (DepEd) and the Workplace of the Vice President (OVP)
- Betrayal of public belief and bribery inside the DepEd
- Violation of the 1987 Structure and betrayal of public belief attributable to unexplained wealth and failure to reveal property
- Fee of excessive crimes, attributable to involvement in extrajudicial killings within the drug battle
- Betrayal of public belief attributable to allege destabilization plots and excessive crimes of sedition and riot
- Betrayal of acts attributable to her unbecoming conduct as Vice President
READ: First impeachment grievance vs VP Sara filed at Home
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The articles talked about within the fourth impeachment grievance confirmed similarities with the primary petition, which was filed by 16 members of civil society teams final December 2.
