‘I am not a lawyer who is good at twisting the law’

Rep. Gary Alejano —JOANBONDOC

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, a former Marine officer, fought back tears as he expressed disappointment over how the committee on justice of the House of Representatives railroaded the killing of the impeachment complaint he had filed against President Duterte.

“Yes, I am not a lawyer who’s very good at twisting the law. I am a former soldier. All I know is how to defend the people,” Alejano said.

It was his clear response to his colleagues’ patronizing statements during the committee proceedings that he was not a lawyer and so might not be aware of the concept of hearsay.

The justice committee junked Alejano’s impeachment complaint, saying his allegations against the hugely popular President were based on “hearsay.”

Alejano said he had an informal agreement with the committee chair, Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali, that he would be allowed to give an opening and closing statement, as the complainant against Mr. Duterte.

But in the nearly four-hour proceedings, Alejano was hardly given the time to speak.

When Alejano insisted on wanting to explain his complaint, Umali told him to “bear” with the committee “because we have a lot of other things to do.”

“If there are other important matters, the thousands who were killed and the continuing deaths in the war against drugs, aren’t they important? There has yet to be a credible hearing to be conducted by the House on these deaths,” Alejano said.

Ethics complaint

Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas said Alejano could have perjured himself and thus might face an ethics complaint for admitting that he did not have personal knowledge of the deaths of thousands of drug suspects, among other issues.

“I am aware of the consequences. If they want to do that, I will respect that. They control the ethics committee. If they remove me from office, it’s up to them. That’s what they have been doing to dissenters,” Alejano said.

Alejano said he was willing to stake his position as the Magdalo party-list representative, “because I know I am standing up for what is right.”

Alejano said that the Magdalo party-list group could likely join lawyer Jude Sabio in the latter’s information against Mr. Duterte lodged with the International Criminal Court (ICC), which accused the President of committing crimes against humanity and mass murder.

‘Propaganda’

Alejano stressed that it was up to the people’s representatives in Congress to be their voice in seeking justice for those who have been killed.

On Fariñas’ statement that the impeachment complaint was merely “propaganda,” Alejano said: “If it is only propaganda, then in effect, the thousands of deaths are not a serious matter.”

“If they think this is not important, then we deserve the President and policies we have now,” Alejano said.

He warned his fellow lawmakers that “if we allow the President that kind of power in violation of the Constitution, I assure you his excesses of power will reach your own fences.”

“We will have a dictator,” he said.