MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan Rep. Tomasito Villarin has “no legal and factual basis” for saying that President Rodrigo Duterte committed an “impeachable offense” for releasing his so-called narcolist, according to Malacañan Palace.
“In other words, it’s pure nonsense,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement issued on Saturday.
On Friday, Villarin slammed Duterte’s announcement of names of 46 elected officials allegedly involved in illegal drug trade.
Villarin said the release of the narcolist was a violation of the Constitution, particularly the provision guaranteeing an individual’s right to due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
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But Panelo said Villarin was “quick to respond to an issue of unfamiliar terrain to a non-lawyer like him.”
Panelo noted that appropriate charges were filed against the politicians included in the so-called narcolist before the Office of the Ombudsman, which recognized the politicians’ right to due process.
“For the legal education of Rep. Villarin, the appropriate charges have already been filed against the personalities contained in the list before the Office of the Ombudsman affording them their right to due process and an opportunity to clear their names before competent authorities,” Panelo said.
READ: DILG files administrative cases vs 46 politicians in ‘narcolist’
“The release of their names is nothing more than a release of the names of criminal suspects,” Panelo added. “Such act cannot be considered a legal transgression, and even more so, an impeachable offense.”
Panelo then reiterated that the President, as head of the state, could only face an impeachment complaint if he should fail to perform his constitutional duty of serving and protecting the people.
“It is the failure of the President to perform his constitutional duty of serving and protecting the people that makes him liable to impeachment for such omission is culpable violation of the Constitution and a betrayal of the public trust,” Panelo said.
On Thursday, Duterte exposed the names of 46 narco politicians — 35 mayors, seven vice mayors, one provincial board member and three members of the House of Representatives. /atm
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