De Lima chides LP solons for rejecting impeach bid vs. Duterte

Published April 25, 2017 5:33pm

By KATHRINA CHARMAINE ALVAREZ, GMA News

Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday chided Liberal Party (LP) congressmen for deciding not to support the impeachment complaint filed against President Rodrigo Duterte in the House of Representatives. 

In a statement, De Lima said the complaint filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano should at least be given an opportunity to be heard. 

“The accusations contained in the impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano are serious enough to warrant, at the very least, the opportunity to be heard, and for the evidence offered to be carefully examined within the bounds of constitutionally-guaranteed processes,” De Lima, former Justice secretary, said. 

“We owe it to the Filipino people who elected us to be given the chance to participate in the national discourse of exacting accountability from our impeachable public officials, regardless of the outcome,” she said. 

De Lima, also a member of the former ruling party, further said: “Apathy, however, will only embolden those already abusive of their power and position.” 

The senator called on his partymates to “uphold” their oaths to “fight tyranny and corruption.” 

Deputy Speaker Miro Quimbo earlier said about half of the LP’s contingent in the House of Representatives have "categorically" decided not to support both the impeachment complaints filed against Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo.

Quimbo said the decision was reached during a meeting held last week. 

The impeachment complaint filed by Alejano accused Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

Among instances he cited in his complaint were killings carried out by the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) when Duterte was still Davao City mayor, and the rampant drug-related killings since he became president.

Alejano's filing came a day after the release of Robredo's video message for a side session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs annual meeting, where she raised irregularities in the administration's anti-drug campaign, notably the so-called "palit ulo" scheme.

In seeming response to Robredo's message, two former senatorial aspirants, known supporters of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, submitted an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

Another group of lawyers and vocal critics of the Vice President on social media said they were also building up a separate complaint. — MDM, GMA News

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/608338/de-lima-chides-lp-solons-for-rejecting-impeach-bid-vs-duterte/story