MANILA (UCAN): “Our complaint is a clarion call to dismantle the culture of violence, corruption and impunity which are the hallmark of the vice president,” said Divine Word Father Flaviano Villanueva, who established the Arnold Janssen Kalinga Centre, as an impeachment motion was filed on December 2 by prominent civil society groups in the House of Representatives against Philippine vice president, Sara Duterte, after she made a death threat against the president and her alleged role in extra-judicial killings, and corruption
The 33-page motion, filed by 16 individuals that include notable Catholic figures Father Robert Reyes and Sister Susan Santos Esmile and Sister Mary Grace de Guzman, accuses the 46-year-old daughter of former firebrand president, Rodrigo Duterte, of violating the 1987 constitution, betraying public trust, and threatening to have Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., his wife and the House speaker killed.
“Today, I formally endorse the first-ever impeachment motion filed by our citizens,” said lawmaker Perci Cendaña from the Akbayan in a statement on December 2.
“This is not a political process; it is a collective stand to defend the truth, restore dignity and integrity in public service,” human rights lawyer, Chel Diokno, said.
The Filipinos deserve leaders who prioritize service not power struggles. Our leaders must rise above personal conflicts
The House should take action “to uphold truth, justice, and accountability,” Father Villanueva said.
The effort is to “hold Sara Duterte accountable,” Cendaña added.
The complainants in the impeachment, including former military officers, also accused Duterte of refusing to condemn aggression in the South China Sea and giving the nod to continuing the brutal drug crackdown started during her father’s rule that left thousands of people dead in the country.
“The bloody war on drugs claimed tens of thousands of lives, leaving behind a trail of grieving families,” Cendaña said.
Sara Duterte has been accused of about two dozen alleged crimes. She is also accused of having a role in the alleged misuse of 612.5 million pesos [US$10.3 million] from confidential and intelligence funds.
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The office of the vice president has not issued a statement on the impeachment bid.
Her feud with the president came to the fore on November 23 when she said during an online interview that she had contracted an assassin to kill Marcos, his wife and speaker Martin Romualdez in the event that she is killed. She later claimed she was not threatening Marcos Jr. but was expressing concern “for her own safety.”
Today, I formally endorse the first-ever impeachment motion filed by our citizens
Perci Cendaña
The impeachment motion will be scrutinized by Congress, which is dominated by Marcos allies, and the lengthy process may take weeks or even months.
On December 20, Congress will start its Christmas recess and will reconvene on January 13 next year.
Activist and lawyer Argee Guevarra said that if Duterte is impeached by the House a new vice president will be selected. “The Dutertes will be erased from Philippine politics,” Guevarra said.
A Catholic religious leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media by his superiors, expressed concern over the “growing tension” between Marcos Jr. and the vice president.
“The Filipinos deserve leaders who prioritize service not power struggles,” he said on December 2, adding, “Our leaders must rise above personal conflicts.”
Former president, Joseph Estrada, was the first high-profile leader to be impeached in 2000 on charges of bribery, corruption, and betrayal of public trust, followed by ombudsman, Merceditas Gutierrez, and the late chief justice, Renato Corona, in 2011.
