Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano yesterday filed a supplemental impeachment complaint against President Duterte for his alleged failure to assert the country’s exclusive sovereign rights over the Benham Rise.
Alejano said this and Duterte’s refusal to protest China’s plan to construct an environmental monitoring station over contested West Philippine Sea areas comprise the impeachment offense betrayal of public trust.
Appearing in a press conference after he filed the supplemental complaint to a previous impeachment case he filed last week, Alejano ruled out impeachment horse trading that will free Vice President Leni Robredo from being hounded by a similar case by the Chief Executive’s allies.
Alejano said nobody has directly negotiated for a horse trading over the case and the impending Robredo impeachment complaint, he vowed not to be part of the deal.
Former Rep. Ashley Acedillo was also present and discussed the salient points of the complaint.
“May mga parinig pero walang lumapit ng diretso sa akin,” Alejano disclosed.
A leader of the so-called Oakwood Mutiny in 2007, Alejano said the filing of impeachment complaint against Duterte is “beyond politics” because it involves the interest and welfare of Filipinos.
Shortly after Alejano filed the impeachment case against Duterte, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez ordered his legal staff to study the filing of a similar complaint against Robredo over her video message assailing the anti-drug war launched by Duterte to the United Nations.
Almost simultaneously, former Marcos lawyer Oliver Lozano sought Alvarez’s endorsement of a Robredo impeachment complaint based on the issue.
Aware that there remains a huge majority bloc that will likely reject the Duterte impeachment, Alejano said he and his partylist group are ready “to the scenario and will respect the rule of the majority.”
However, he insisted that the Duterte complaints stand a good chance of being supported by the required one-third of House membership who are disgruntled over the leadership style of Duterte and Alvarez. (Ben R. Rosario)