Rejection of Duterte impeach bid cited

The nation must focus on sustaining the country’s economic growth and not be distracted by destructive politics, Malacañang said in welcoming the Liberal Party’s rejection of the impeachment bid against President Duterte.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella affirmed that an impeachment move against the President would not only undermine the popular vote but would also harm the local economy.

“We welcome the Liberal Party’s position not to support any impeachment move against President Rodrigo Duterte,” Abella said.

“Any impeachment process would be counterproductive for the Philippines which has been described to be the fastest growing in Southeast Asia. We therefore have to seize our economic momentum and not to be derailed by destructive politics,” he added.

Abella added that any move to remove Duterte from power would be “an attempt to subvert the people’s will.” He said Duterte is the duly elected president with no less than 16 million Filipinos who voted for him.

The Liberal Party earlier announced it would not support the impeachment complaints filed against Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo because would “only be divisive as well as polarizing.”

The consensus was reached during a meeting of the LP members with Robredo, according to House Deputy Speaker Miro Quimbo.

“It will only serve to distract us from the many important matters that Congress should be giving priority to. For these very imperative reasons, the LP House majority caucus members present categorically took a position that we will not support any of the impeachment complaints filed against the leaders of the land,” Quimbo said.

Last March, an opposition lawmaker filed an impeachment complaint against the President for alleged corruption and abuse of power.