Bersamin: Malacañang not involved in impeach bid against VP Sara

National

THE Office of the President has nothing to do with the impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte,

This was what Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said after being asked for comment regarding the impeachment bid against the Vice President.

“The impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives by several private citizens is clearly the complainants’ independent initiative, and its endorsement, the prerogative of any member of the House of Representatives,” Bersamin said.

Malacañang has distanced itself from the impeachment complaint against Duterte after President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.'s previous statement that the impeachment “is not important” and will not help improve the lives of Filipinos.

Bersamin said the statement of the President is “unambiguous”.

“Any suggestion that it is political or instigated by our side, no. That is never true,” the executive secretary said.

“What the House of Representatives is saying is we let the process flow. For our part, what do we need to say? The President already made it clear and unambiguous... that he will not support an effort to impeach because it is distracting. There are a lot of things we need to do. They are important to the nation,” Bersamin furthered in a Philippine Star report.

Civil society leaders, religious groups and other sectors filed the said impeachment complaint against Duterte which was endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña.

Among the complainants were former Magdalo Party-list representative Gary Alejano, former peace adviser Teresita Quintos Deles, Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, and families of drug war victims.

The complainant stated the Vice President is guilty of culpable violation of the constitution and of graft and corruption as the Vice President failed to account the P125 million confidential funds in 2022; guilty of bribery and culpable violation of the constitution; guilty of betrayal of public trust after Duterte left her during typhoon Carina in July and other crimes.(LAO)