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According to Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Vice President Leni Robredo and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno will face the prospect of impeachment as the 17th Congress enters its second year .
Alvarez said he was collecting evidence to build possible impeachment cases against Robredo and Sereno, who had incurred his displeasure on separate occasions in recent months.
Alvarez insisted he was not “threatening” the two officials, as he would do what he said should he be able to gather enough evidence.
Asked why he was targeting Robredo and Sereno when President Duterte himself avoided directly attacking either of the two high officials, Alvarez said it was the nature of his office.
“Let’s understand the President. He cannot impeach anyone. He cannot impeach the Vice President or the Chief Justice. But we in Congress, especially the House, have the exclusive right to impeach the Vice President, the Chief Justice, the justices of the Supreme Court and [officials of] constitutional bodies,” he said.
“That’s why I’m speaking out,” he added.
Alvarez said the Vice President “betrayed the public trust” in March when she sent a video message to a UN side meeting criticizing the government’s war on drugs.
On March 16, Robredo’s message to the side event of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs meeting in Vienna sparked a political firestorm as it coincided with the filing of the first impeachment case against Mr. Duterte.
Two impeachment complaints were subsequently filed against Robredo, but no House member came forward to endorse either of them, prompting the filers to submit them to the Speaker’s office.
Alvarez has not acted on the two complaints yet.
Watch Speaker Alvarez speaking courtesy of Inquirer:
If the said impeachment will pursue, this will be the first time that a Vice President of the Philippines will be impeach.
Source: News/ Inquirer
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