OUSTING SARA House of Representatives Secretary General Reginald Velasco (left) in December receives from former Sen. Leila de Lima (center) the impeachment complaint that civil society groups filed against Vice President Sara Duterte. At right is Akbayan Rep. Percival Cendaña, who endorsed the complaint. —Lyn Rillon
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives would send the wrong signals if it delays the processing of impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, former senator Leila de Lima said on Tuesday.
De Lima, spokesperson for the first batch of complainants, said in a statement that delaying the impeachment complaints might be taken as tolerating incompetence and abuse of public funds.
Article continues after this advertisementThree complaints have been filed against Duterte, but none of these have been forwarded to the Office of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez despite all three being verified already. As of now, the raps are still with the Office of House Secretary General Reginald Velasco.
FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO House appropriations panel head steps down NEWSINFO ‘Show of force’: 1.8M join INC peace rally NEWSINFO Acop: What do you need 20 guns for?READ: Some solons looking for endorsers to expedite VP Duterte’s impeachment
“To delay action would not only betray the people’s demand for truth and accountability but would also send a dangerous signal—that the House of Representatives is willing to tolerate gross incompetence, abuse of power, and the mismanagement of public funds,” de Lima said.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Constitution mandates action on impeach raps vs VP Duterte – solon
Article continues after this advertisement“The continuing inaction of the House fosters impunity, undermines its constitutional role, and erodes public trust. By failing to act, the House risks aligning itself with the very abuses it is duty-bound to check. It diminishes its leadership at a time when the Vice President’s contentious tenure has already deepened national division and discontent,” she added.
Article continues after this advertisementREAD: Velasco: VP Sara impeach raps to be processed if no new cases are coming
According to De Lima, the House must walk its talk—as some members have already maintained that addressing the complaints would be a fulfillment of its constitutional mandate, and not mere politicking.
Article continues after this advertisement“As the House leadership has often emphasized, addressing an impeachment complaint is not a matter of discretion but a solemn constitutional mandate. The Constitution provides clear mechanisms to ensure fairness, due process, and adherence to the rule of law. The House must faithfully and transparently carry out this mandate, demonstrating its commitment to the principles of good governance,” she said.
“The time to act is now. We urge the House to proceed with transparency, urgency, and integrity. Let it send a clear and resounding message: that it stands with the Filipino people, honors its constitutional duty, and will never tolerate the abuse of power,” she added.
Earlier, Velasco said that the complaints have not been forwarded to Romualdez’ office, because he is still giving a fourth group some time to file their own complaint.
Velasco revealed in an interview with reporters at the Batasang Pambansa complex that 12 lawmakers, coming from both the Majority and Minority blocs, are now actively looking for at least 103 colleagues who will endorse a fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte.
Under Section 3, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, an impeachment complaint can be fast-tracked if one-thirds of all House members file the complaint—which means a Senate trial will immediately be launched.
With 310 members in the House, the group would need 103 members to sign the impeachment complaint.
According to Velasco, he would give this group of lawmakers, whom he refused to identify, some more time to find endorsers. But if the fourth complaint against Duterte has not been filed until Thursday next week, Velasco said he will be forced to forward the first three petitions to Romualdez.
Last January 2, Velasco said that his office got information that there may be a fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte. When no rap was filed, Velasco said that he will consult first with lawmakers who want to endorse the first three complaints, while he will give potential complainants until Thursday this week to file the fourth complaint.
When asked about his previous statements, Velasco reiterated that the change in his self-imposed deadline was due to consultations on Monday, as session resumed.
Existing impeachment complaints against Duterte were mostly hinged on the findings of the House committee on good government and public accountability, which investigated accusations that her offices—the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and previously, the Department of Education (DepEd)—misused confidential fund (CF) allocations.
Over the course of the panel’s hearings, it was revealed that some of the acknowledgement receipts (ARs) for the CFs were signed by a certain Mary Grace Piattos—which Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop said bears a first name similar to a coffee shop, and a surname that is a famous potato chip brand.
bng slotLater on, Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong showed two ARs—one for OVP and another for the DepEd—which were both received by a certain Kokoy Villamin. However, the signatures and handwriting of Villamin differed.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
"This series is not just about the two teams playing; it's about reviving the spirit of hockey in Delhi. We hope this will inspire more young players from the region to take up the game," Harmanpreet stated in a press release issued by Hockey India.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey expressed his enthusiasm and stated: "This bilateral series against Germany will be a remarkable showcase of world-class hockey. Both India and Germany have a rich history in the sport, and this series will give fans an opportunity to witness an intense competition between two of the most formidable teams in the world.
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) eventually said that the names Mary Grace Piattos and Kokoy Villamin do not exist within their live birth, marriage, and death registry. Furthermore8k8, PSA said that they have no records of the more than 400 names on the ARs for the DepEd’s CFs.
READ NEXT Hunger among Filipinos hits new high in Q4 2024 – SWS survey Marcos, wife Liza host dinner for senators EDITORS' PICK Ex-BFAR execs post bail for VMS-related graft raps NBA: Warriors fall below .500 after losing to lowly Raptors US or China? Asian economies may have to pick a side NBA: Pistons emerging as a serious surprise story this season Karylle slams campaign gimmicks: ‘Voters deserve more than jingles’ Judy Ann Santos receives double gold at culinary school graduation MOST READ Hanging out at Starbucks will cost you as it reverses open-door policy Marcos, wife Liza host dinner for senators INQToday: Nat’l Maritime Council to China: Withdraw ‘monster ship’ from PH EEZ Kach Umandap sets record: First to visit all 193 countries with PH passport Follow @FMangosingINQ on Twitter --> View comments