LOYALTY TO PEOPLE Leaders of civil society groups who filed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte (right) say their decision to proceed with the ouster move is meant to show their loyalty to the people. —LYN RILLON/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. JV Ejercito thinks the impeachment move against Vice President Sara Duterte is “very divisive.”
In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Ejercito also said he was saddened by the continued “political bickerings” that “derail” the country’s economic progress.
“For me, personally, it’s very divisive because we know that impeachment is more political than legal,” he said.
“It’s hard to move forward if the top two officials are bickering because it does not give a good signal, especially in the international community, making it appear that there’s political instability in the country. We are already having a hard time inviting investors, and then there’s this political instability,” he added.
Ejercito also said government officials should focus their attention on infrastructure development and healthcare — two of his advocacy priorities.
Earlier, Senate President Francis Escudero appealed to senators to refrain from commenting on the impeachment complaint against Duterte as the Senate would serve as an impeachment court should the complaint push through.
“Should the Senate be called upon to act as an impeachment court, any perception of bias or pre-judgment would undermine not only the integrity of the impeachment trial but also the public’s trust in the Senate as an institution,” he explained.
The first impeachment complaint against Duterte was filed by civil society organizations before the House of Representatives’ Office of the Secretary-General on Monday afternoon.
The 50-page impeachment was endorsed by Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña.