MANILA, Philippines — Magdalo party-list may file an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte if it wins a seat in the House of Representatives, its representative said on Wednesday.
Magdalo party-list first nominee Gary Alejano made the pronouncement as he filed the certificate of nomination and acceptance (Cona) of his party at Manila Hotel Tent City.
“Kung mananalo, sa nakikita kong mga violation against the Constitution, malaki ang posibilidad na maghahain ako ng impeachment [complaint] against the Vice President,” he said in an interview after the filing of the party’s Cona.
(If we won, due to the constitutional violations I have observed, there is a big possibility that I will file an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.)
Alejano also said Magdalo would let the other members of the House file an impeachment rap against Duterte first.
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At the deliberations on the Office of the Vice President’s proposed budget for 2025 last August 27, Duterte claimed that a friend of hers had a recording of lawmakers discussing the impeachment complaint against her, but they denied this.
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“Kung mayroon ibang miyembro ng Kongreso na magfa-file ng impeachment, ay puwede natin silang hayaan,” Alejano said.
(If there are members of the Congress willing to file impeachment, we may let them do so.)
“Pero kung kinakailangan at tawag ng panahon, at wala nang ibang magfa-file, gaya noong nakaraang administration, tatayuan ko na, Magdalo po iyan,” he added.
(But if there is a need and the situation calls for it and no other lawmakers would file, unlike in the last administration, we in the Magdalo would take a stand.)
In 2017, Alejano filed an impeachment complaint against former president Rodrigo Duterte before the lower chamber as he accused the ex-chief executive of giving up the Philippines’ sovereign rights over Benham Rise to China.
READ: Ex-Magdalo mutineer to file impeachment case vs Duterte