LP solons won’t support impeachment bid vs Duterte, Robredo

By: Marc Jayson Cayabyab - 8 years ago

Congressman Miro Quimbo. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

The majority bloc members of the erstwhile ruling Liberal Party will not support the impeachment proceedings against President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement on Friday, Deputy Speaker Miro Quimbo said the LP met on Thursday to discuss party matters, as well as the moves in Congress to impeach Duterte and even the LP titular head, Vice President Leni Robredo.

Quimbo said 15 LP representatives from the majority bloc in the House of Representatives met with Robredo and vowed not to support any impeachment proceeding, which would only serve to divide the lower house.

“Like with most of our past meetings, a number of administrative-party matters were discussed including payment of party dues and proposed schedules for the second half of the year,” Quimbo said.

READ: House majority urged to junk ‘sham’ impeachment rap vs Robredo

“We eventually discussed the issue of impeachment. We came to a common consensus on the following matters: we strongly believe that the taking up by the HOR of any impeachment complaint today will only be divisive as well as polarizing,” he added.

Quimbo said impeachment that would start from the Lower House would only distract Congress from its legislative duties.

“It will only serve to distract us from the many important matters that Congress should be giving priority to. For these very imperative reasons, the LP House majority caucus members present categorically took a position that we will not support any of the impeachment complaints filed against the leaders of the land,” Quimbo said.

Quimbo also said the LP majority bloc met as a show of force to express support for Robredo, the LP’s highest elected official.

“We likewise reiterated our strongest commitment of support to the Vice President, our party leader,” Quimbo said.

Duterte faces an impeachment complaint before the House of Representatives for his alleged inaction in China’s incursions, for betrayal of public trust and culpable violations of the Constitution for his alleged P2.2 billion hidden wealth, his administration’s war on drugs, the Davao Death Squad when he was mayor, as well as the President’s alleged inaction over the country’s maritime rights over the West Philippine Sea and Benham Rise.

READ: Solon files impeach rap vs Duterte over West PH Sea, Benham Rise | 1st impeachment complaint filed vs Duterte for killings, graft

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, who filed the impeachment complaints, chided Duterte for coddling up to China despite his campaign promise of going to the disputed waters by jetski and planting a Philippine flag there.

READ: Alejano twits Duterte: What happened to jet ski plan? | Why Duterte won’t ride jet ski to Spratlys, disputed islands

Robredo roused the ire of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez when she went to a United Nations body to criticize the administration’s war on drugs.

READ: Speaker calls Robredo ‘shameless,’ to pursue impeachment

Alvarez mulled endorsing an impeachment complaint against Robredo for betrayal of public trust for supposedly putting the country in a bad light before the international community. AU/rga