Impeachment case vs Binay won’t fly in Congress, LP solon says
Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
An impeachment proceeding against Vice President Jejomar Binay would not fly in the House of Representatives despite corruption charges against him, a solon said Tuesday.
Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr., chairman of the House of Representatives justice committee, said the chamber would just let the corruption cases lodged against Binay progress.
“We cannot prevent anyone from filing an impeachment complaint. As an experienced member of the House in impeachment proceeding, I don’t see impeachment proceeding succeeding against the vice president,” Tupas said.
READ: Impeachment case vs Binay won’t prosper – lawyer | Let Congress decide on Binay impeachment – Palace
He said it is not a good timing to hold impeachment because the next national elections are a few months away.
Article continues after this advertisementHe maintained that Binay is an impeachable officer and not immune from suit, but he said this may not be the right timing.
Article continues after this advertisement“The mood is not really to impeach but to let the cases proceed against the Vice President,” Tupas, a member of the ruling Liberal Party, said.
The justice committee which Tupas heads determines the form and substance of an impeachment complaint against impeachable officers, such as the President, Vice President, Supreme Court Justices, Ombudsman, and members of the constitutional commissions.
United Nationalist Alliance President Tony Tiangco sounded the alarm about a supposed plan to impeach Binay, saying the Ombudsman Field Investigation Office filed the graft complaint against Binay to determine sufficiency of evidence for purposes of impeachment.
VP Binay faces investigation for graft before the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged overpricing and rigged bidding for the Makati City Hall Building II and the Makati Science High School Building. He faces probe with his son Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, who was preventively suspended pending the results of the investigation. IDL
