House to kill Rody impeachment
The House of Representatives will most likely kill the first impeachment complaint filed against President Duterte by Rep. Gary Alejano of partylist group Magdalo.
In radio and television interviews on Friday night and yesterday, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez reiterated that the complaint has no basis, though he admitted in one program that he has not read it yet.
“I have not read it because we are on recess and I am not in the office,” he said.
“But I am a lawyer. I know what lacks substance. And it is very clear that this complaint lacks substance. You just don’t file an impeachment case. You have to make sure that you can prove your allegations in the impeachment court in the Senate,” he said.
He said it’s difficult to prove Alejano’s allegation that Duterte “culpably violated the Constitution” in the
war against drugs, which, according to the complaint, has resulted in the death of more than 8,000 drug suspects.
Alvarez added that impeachment is a numbers game and administration allies in the House have the numbers to kill the impeachment case against Duterte.
Two of his interviewers said they too have not read the complaint but nonetheless asked him if he thought Duterte’s admission that he allowed a Chinese research vessel to do a survey in Benham Rise could stand as an impeachment charge.
“It will not. What if the President said he was just joking?” the Speaker said.
Unknown to them, the Benham Rise issue is not part of the impeachment complaint.
Alejano has said the President’s admission amounted to treason. Benham Rise is part of the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
Alvarez said he understood why the former Marine captain filed his complaint last Thursday, when congressmen and senators started their sixweek recess.
“I think it’s to give them enough time, so that… in the hope that others will be converted to stupid people also,” he said.
On Thursday, his first reaction to the filing of the complaint was: “They are entitled to their own stupidity.”
Alejano lamented such “unfortunate” statement from his House boss, saying he wished the Speaker “could have displayed maturity and professionalism instead.”
Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, the second most powerful House official, earlier said most of the complainant’s allegations were “hearsay” and the offenses alleged were committed when Duterte was mayor or vice mayor. Other administration allies belittled the impeachment complaint.
“It’s an exercise in futility, given his overwhelming support not only in Congress but from the Filipino people as well,” Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Raymund Villafuerte said.
“Since impeachment process is a numbers game, it is wishful thinking on the part of the President’s critics that they could even reach first base in impeachment proceedings in the House,” he said.
“My peers in the House are politically astute enough to realize that no impeachment complaint will gain traction among the people, considering the President’s record public trust and satisfaction ratings as reflected in the tracking polls,” he said.
He added that House members could better spend time crafting reform laws that would help the administration reduce poverty.
Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo called for an “impeachment ceasefire” between followers and critics of Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo.
“Impeaching the top two leaders of the country – whether or not either succeeds – will get us nowhere and only make things worse for our already divided nation,” he said.
“We face serious problems that – in order to resolve – require not only serious and dedicated leaders, but more importantly sacrifices from all of us and national unity,” he said.
Fishing expedition
Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said the impeachment process against Duterte is a “fishing expedition” and the complaint “will only end up in the dustbin because the allegations are not supported by evidence.”
For his part, Rep. Harry Roque of party- list group Kabayan said it’s difficult to link Duterte to extrajudicial killings committed in the name of his war on drugs.
“We are confronted with a figure of 8,000 deaths from Tokhang; yet, how many of these have been properly documented so as to establish clear lines of culpability leading to the President?” he asked.
“This highlights the importance of case building. Remember that only one impeachment case may be filed against the President per year,” he said.
Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo also voiced opposition to moves to impeach Duterte.
“We should unite for the best interest of the country,” Degamo, chairman of PDPLaban Negros Island Region, said on the sidelines of a public consultation on constitutional reforms in Bacolod City.
Southern Leyte Rep. Roger Mercado, chairman of the House committee on constitutional amendments, said “for sure the impeachment complaint will not prosper because primarily, it lacks substance and form.”
The accusations are all hearsay, and the complaint nothing but a piece of paper, he said.
“Considering that the President is well loved by the people and has the support of the majority coalition in Congress, I think it will not hold any chance. I appeal to our people not to give any consideration to these complaints because these are politically motivated and things that would just obstruct the focus of our administration,” Mercado said.
“We should instead unite and continue supporting our President so that more investors will come, we have to show that we are united as a people,” he pointed out.
“We have to continue to focus on amending our Constitution instead because this might be cure to all these problems besetting our country today,” he added.
Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya said it would not be easy for Alejano to get the numbers required for an impeachment to progress.
“Politically it’s premature, it’s not viable,” Rep. Alfredo Benitez said. He admitted he has not seen yet Alejano’s impeachment complaint.
Deputy House Speaker Mercedes Alvarez said the Nationalist People’s Coalition is squarely behind the President.
Even election lawyer Romulo Macalintal believes having Duterte impeached is an “impossible dream” because he enjoys the backing of a majority of the members of the House.
“The move to impeach President Duterte and remove him from office is, at this time, an impossible dream. It will never happen and will not even reach first base, so to speak, at the House of Representatives,” said Macalintal in a statement.
He noted the House would be the one to determine if a complaint for impeachment is “sufficient in form and substance.” It also needs one-third or 97 votes of the 292 House members to impeach Duterte and for the case to be referred to the Senate for trial.
But with the reported 260 House members currently supporting Duterte, he said only 42 are left to approve an impeachment proceeding.
“With the tremendous support the President gets from the House leadership and his steady high approval and trust ratings, his impeachment and removal from office is a long shot and is not likely to prosper. It is just a waste of time,” he said.