VP’s move seen affecting House impeach vote
Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared presidential bid will likely have an effect on how the House justice committee will vote on the impeachment complaints filed against her, according to one of the chamber’s leaders.
“It will not affect how the process will go on in terms of hearings, in terms of deliberations in the committee on justice. But I can tell you that it may affect how the voting will come out. I hope that we will be as independent as possible,” Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor said on Wednesday.
Defensor said Duterte’s announcement will also be a factor on how lawmakers view their own chances in the 2028 elections, given the Vice President’s high ratings in recent opinion polls.
“The reality is that the Vice President is doing very well in terms of her ratings, and there are provinces and regions that are very close to [her]. They will be affected in case they vote against the Vice President. We cannot discount that possibility,” he added.
“So unless there is a strong contender against the Vice President who will say that the impeachment is worth pursuing, I do not see it yet as going beyond the committee on justice for deliberation and determination of sufficiency and form and substance.”
For Act Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Duterte’s announcement should be seen a mere political “gimmick” intended to scare members of Congress as they take up the impeachment complaints.
Tinio said it was clear that her timing was calculated and done before her impeachment proceedings.
Secret funds
For Makabayan bloc lawmakers, Duterte should first answer questions related to the confidential fund (CF) issues raised against her, instead of projecting her 2028 plans.
Gabriela party list Rep. Sarah Elago and Kabataan party list Rep. Renee Co said Duterte’s announcement only served as a distraction.
“The people, lawmakers, and [government] agencies are all geared to pursue accountability up to the end. But now they released this announcement, which is premature and only bares the intention that Duterte has higher ambitions,” Co said.
“At this point in time, this is not the question that Duterte should answer. The question is: Where is the money that was corrupted, how it will be returned to the people, and who will be held accountable? These are the questions that need an answer from Duterte,” she added.
“It may also be a desperate attempt to divert attention away from the real issue, that is, the questionable use of the confidential and intelligence funds of the [Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education] budget, the use of fake names, as well as the disregard for the process of checks and balances regarding accountability, like explaining how public funds were spent,” she added.
How’s the opposition?
Meanwhile, key figures in the political opposition are still looking to name a standard-bearer for the 2028 elections.
“We are still in the process of setting our own timeline,” Deputy Majority Leader Sen. Risa Hontiveros said in Filipino on Wednesday.
Even before Duterte’s announcement, she said, members of the opposition were regularly conferring as to the requirements and qualifications they are looking for in their standard-bearer.
“Actually, it’s not the qualifications per se, but rather the common values we have found in each other—our stand against corruption, our commitment to good governance, our growth and sharing the benefits of a stronger economy, a genuine unity in our divided and polarized society, and of course, national sovereignty, among others,” Hontiveros added.
Hontiveros earlier said she was open to being the frontrunner of the united opposition should the alliance choose her. —WITH REPORTS FROM ISABELLE PECHAY AND CHARIE ABARCA
