PNP chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde. Photo from the PNP Facebook account
MANILA, Philippines — Filing an impeachment complaint against the president is a constitutional exercise, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Oscar Albayalde said Thursday.
According to Albayalde, anyone, even a criminal, can file an impeachment complaint and not be arrested by the police after doing so.
“Impeachment is a constitutional exercise. ‘Yung sinabi ko (What I earlier said is) we will arrest provided there is a violation of the law,” he said in an interview with CNN Philippines.
His statement follows the threat of President Rodrigo Duterte to jail those who will file an impeachment complaint against him, but Albayalde said the Chief Executive had not given him a direct order on the matter.
READ: Duterte on impeachment proponents: I’ll jail them all
“If there is an order from the President, it’s not outright that you arrest that person who filed the case,” he said.
“We have to build the case kung talagang meron, [the arrest will be made] not because he has an impeachment case against the President,” he said. (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)