ILOILO City – All lawmakers from the province of Iloilo and this city confirmed signing up for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte Carpio.
With 215 members in favor, the impeachment complaint passed the House of Representatives on Wednesday, February 5, paving the way for the case to be forwarded to the Senate for trial.
Among those who favored the impeachment was 3rd District’s Cong. Lorenz Defensor, who is also one of the 10 lawmakers chosen to serve as prosecutors, alongside Cong. Gerville Luistro, Cong. Romeo Acop, Cong. Rodge Gutierrez, Cong. Joel Chua, Cong. Raul Angelo Bongalon, Cong. Loretto Acharon, Cong. Marcelino Libanan, Cong. Arnarn Panaligan, Cong. Isabelle Maria Zamora, and Cong. Jonathan Keith Flores.
Defensor explained his vote: “Yes, I signed the impeachment complaint because there is clear evidence of violation of our Constitution through betrayal of public trust and other high crimes, especially contracting assassins to kill the President.”
In an interview with Panay News, Defensor shared that prior to the vote, a consultation was held in the House of Representatives to ensure that all lawmakers understood the impeachment case against the Vice President.
After securing majority support, he said, the next step would be to transmit the complaint as Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.
Also voting in favor of the impeachment was 2nd District’s Cong. Michael Gorriceta, who signed the complaint on Wednesday afternoon.
“I said yes. The Senate is the proper venue for the Vice President to answer the complaints filed against her and to let the Filipino people hear her response, especially regarding her statement against the President concerning national security and the allegations of misuse of her intelligence funds,” Gorriceta told Panay News.
Meanwhile, 1st District’s Cong. Janette Garin confirmed on her Facebook page that she had endorsed the impeachment complaint, too.
Her confirmation followed accusations from Davao City 1st District’s Cong. Paolo Duterte, who claimed that Garin was behind the impeachment move against Vice President Duterte.
Duterte condemned the impeachment efforts, calling them politically motivated and baseless.
He accused Garin and other lawmakers of rushing the impeachment proceedings without proper merit. He labeled the move as a “sinister” political attack aimed at tarnishing the Vice President’s leadership.
“I am appalled and enraged by the desperate and politically motivated efforts to railroad the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte,” said Cong. Duterte. “This is a clear act of political persecution, and I believe Representative Garin is at the center of this baseless attack.”
Duterte also warned that such actions could backfire, pointing to the overwhelming support shown by Iglesia Ni Cristo members who rallied in defense of the Vice President.
He cautioned that dismissing these public displays of support could provoke a greater political backlash, destabilizing the current political landscape.
“If they were unfazed by the over one million rallying supporters of the Iglesia Ni Cristo, then they are blindly marching toward an even greater storm,” Duterte warned.
In response, Garin denied that she was the mastermind behind the impeachment and called Duterte’s statement “very malicious.”
“Whoever fed him the info should come out and face me. Who am I to maneuver my colleagues? We were invited to a party consultation where officers explained the Articles of Impeachment. I was present, though late,” she said.
Cong. Raul Tupas of Iloilo’s 5th District also signed up for Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment.
“As members of House of Representatives, we are duty bound to act on the impeachment complaints…The House of Representatives as an institution has decided to act on complaints based on substantial findings and evidences uncovered by Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability as well as the joint hearings conducted by the QuadCom,” Tupas said in a statement.
The trial in the Senate, he said, will provide the Vice President the proper venue to defend herself and dispute the allegations against her, and that “due process will be observed and the rule of law upheld.”
“On the part of the House, the prosecution panel can prove if there are solid bases on the allegations. The Vice President, on the other hand, can present evidence to refute the allegations. Mabal-an ta ang kamatuoran paagi sa impeachment trial sa Senado,” stressed Tupas.
Iloilo 4th District’s Cong. Ferjenel Biron and Iloilo City’s Cong. Julienne Baronda also signed up for Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment./PN
