Solon: LP can’t impeach Duterte

An opposition leader in the House of Representatives yesterday belittled the Liberal Party’s ability to impeach President Duterte, saying that keeping LP stalwart Vice President Leni Robredo is the hidden agenda behind the party’s rejection of the bid to oust the Chief Executive.

House Deputy Minority Leader and ABS party-list Rep. Eugene de Vera said the decision of House Deputy Majority Leader Miro Quimbo and 14 other LP congressmen to oppose the Duterte impeachment complaint is not even impressive as the erstwhile ruling party does not have the manpower to oust the President through congressional action.

Quimbo announced Thursday that 15 LP solons have met Robredo to inform her of their decision not to support the impeachment complaint filed against Duterte by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano.

The group also denounced lawyer Oliver Lozano’s separate bid to impeach Robredo.

“The stand of the Liberal Party not to support impeachment cases either against President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo is a safe political strategy on the part of the LP to let VP Robredo stay in office,” said De Vera in a statement.

He pointed out that since impeachment is a numbers game that would require at least 98 congressmen to ensure success, there is just no way the LP can pursue it to the Senate level.

“It will be next to impossible that the LP can amass the said required votes with only 32 memberships and half of it aligned with the majority,” noted the opposition lawmaker.

De Vera added: “On the other hand, PDP-laban and its allies can easily muster the 1/3 votes for the impeachment of Vice President Robredo. Both PDPLaban and LP are not blind to these sentiments in the Lower Chamber.”

“With LP adopting this stance, it appears that they have waived the white flag,” the partylist solon said.