Supplemental impeach rap vs Duterte ‘nonsense,’ says Panelo

Chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

President Rodrigo Duterte’s lawyer on Thursday dismissed as “nonsense” the supplemental impeachment complaint against the Chief Executive.

“It’s nonsense geared for propaganda and publicity for himself,” presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo said in a statement.

“It may even be deemed to be a second impeachment complaint which is a prohibited complaint under the one-year prohibition limiting the filing to only one complaint in a year,” Panelo added.

On Thursday morning, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano filed a supplemental impeachment complaint against Duterte in connection with his foreign policy over the West Philippine Sea, Panatag Shoal, and the Benham Rise.

READ: Solon files impeach rap vs Duterte over West PH Sea, Benham Rise

Alejano said Duterte could be impeached for betrayal of public trust and culpable violations of the Constitution for his alleged secret sweet deals with China and other aspects over his foreign policy.

Alejano filed on March 16 his first impeachment complaint against Duterte for bribing the vigilante Davao Death Squad to kill drug pushers and users when he was Davao city mayor and for the killings amid his government’s war on drugs. IDL/rga