VP Leni unfazed by news of impeachment complaints

Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo on Wednesday made light of the new impeachment complaints to be filed against her, stressing that it will not affect her work.

“Mahirap kasi na hihinto tayo sa pagtrabaho dahil aasikasuhin iyong protest, aasikasuhin iyong impeachment. Iyong sa atin, kapag nandiyan na, harapin. (It is difficult that we would stop working because we have to deal with the protest, or the impeachment. For me, once it is there let’s face it),” she said.

“Pero hindi siya iyong tipong hihinto ka sa lahat mo’ng gagawin para magprepara para doon. (But it won’t be like you would stop everything you’re doing in order to prepare for it),” Robredo added.

The Vice President issued the statement when she was asked to comment on the prospect of facing more impeachment complaints once the second regular session of the 17th Congress starts next week.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez floated the plans to file impeachment complaints against Robredo, along with Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

“Handa naman tayong harapin. Wala tayong ginagawang mali. Bahagi naman iyan ng democratic process. (We are ready to face it. We are not doing anything wrong. That is part of the democratic process),” she said.

The former Camarines Sur congresswoman acknowledged that impeachment is a political exercise.

Robredo noted it is hard to say whether or not her former colleagues in Congress would support the new complaint to be filed against her.

She said she believed that lawmakers should decide on supporting the impeachment based on its grounds.

“Sana nakabase ito sa ano ba iyong grounds ng impeachment, pakinggan iyong grounds, at pag-usapan kung kinakailangan ba itong ipasa sa Senado o hindi. (I hope it is based on the grounds of impeachment, they should look into the grounds, and tackle whether or not it needs to be transmitted to Senate),” she said.

For an impeachment complaint against the Vice President to be transmitted to Senate, at least one-third of House members have to affirm it. If at least two-thirds of the Senate vote to convict, the Vice President will be removed from office.

Robredo earlier faced two impeachment complaints in the House of Representatives, but it did not prosper due to the lack of endorsement from its members.