Aquino urges Senate allies to stand firm

Senator Bam Aquino. FILE PHOTO

Let’s not succumb to intimidation and pressure, Senate Deputy Minority Leader Bam Aquino told colleagues in Congress on Monday amid a reported plan by the House of Representatives to file an impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo.

“Our democratic institutions, especially the Senate, must show that we can operate justly without succumbing to intimidation and pressure,” Aquino said in a statement.

“Democratic institutions must stand up and fight for our freedom and democracy while we still enjoy it,” he added.

Aquino and Robredo belong to the Liberal Party (LP).

The senator said an impeachment complaint against Robredo might reach the Senate if the House leadership “will bully and threaten the congressmen, like what happened in the death penalty vote”.

READ: Solons deny being pressured to vote for death penalty bill

“But I have faith that my fellow legislators can still stand up to pressure that may be put on them and act fairly on the matter,” Aquino said.

“Clearly, this reaction from leaders of this administration is coming from the obsessive need to curb dissent or disagreement,” the senator added.

Allies of President Rodrigo Duterte raised the specter of impeaching Robredo after a series of events they saw as “coordinated” actions aimed at destabilizing the government.

READ: Palace sees larger scheme to discredit Duterte administration

The LP earlier described as “baseless and orchestrated lies” allegations linking Vice President Robredo to alleged destabilization moves against the Duterte administration, saying she was not and would not be part of any such move.

It pointed out that even President Rodrigo Duterte himself had said that the Vice President had nothing to do with destabilization efforts against him. CBB/rga