AFTER Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez threatened to seek her impeachment, Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday denied being part of the impeachment case against President Rodrigo Duterte or seeking to embarrass the Philippines at the United Nations.
“I have not heard what Speaker Alvarez said but I read it in the social media. It is hard to comment since I do not know his basis. But several times our President repeated that he is sure I am not part of the destabilization plot,” Robredo said from her home in Naga City.
“If his basis for impeachment complaint is the one filed by the Magdalo, they themselves said I am not part in the filing of impeachment complaint,” she added.
But a small group of Filipinos appeared unconvinced as they picketed the Office of the Vice President in Quezon City to demand her resignation although she was in her home province of Camarines Sur.
Solicitor General Jose Calida also weighed in on the matter and suggested that voters, who elected Duterte on his platform of a war against drugs, will turn against the Vice President.
“VP Robredo will reap the people’s wrath and contempt for her treasonous act,” Calida posted on his Twitter account, offering his services to Alvarez should he decide to pursue the impeachment complaint against Robredo.
Calida also accused Robredo of being part of destabilization efforts against the Duterte administration.
“VP Robredo shamelessly pandered the desire of the Yellow Cult to depose President Duterte, which if successful, will immensely benefit her,” Calida posted, adding that she debased the Office of the President by “betraying the trust of our people.”
“The carping VP has joined the ranks of the destabilizers,” said the solicitor general, who is also known as the tribune of the people.
But Robredo denied any malice when she released a video statement for a UN commission even before she, as a lawyer, could take any action by raising her allegations before the proper local authorities.
She said the video was done in February and was only released last week.
“It just happened that it was only this time [that] it was shown since the video will be used in a conference this March. It was done a long time ago,” she said, adding that she had been preparing for that video statement since January.
“I don’t know if at that time they [the Magdalo group of party-list Rep. Gary Alejano] are already thinking of the impeachment complaint because I am not part of the group,” she said.
But Alvarez remained intent on filing an impeachment complaint against Robredo and said on Saturday he was already talking to his lawyers about it.
In a radio dzBB interview, Alvarez said Robredo’s recorded video puts the Philippines in a bad light.
“For the first time in the history of the Philipines, this high official of the government—whom I cannot even call VP because we are not even sure she really won—sent a video clip to the United Nations and unashamedly put down the Philippine nation,” Alvarez said in an interview with radio station dzBB.
“Where can you see something like that? She put down the Philippines in many ways: economic, tourism, among others,” he added.
“I am still studying [an impeachment complaint]. Maybe the angle of betrayal of public trust,” Alvarez said in a television interview. “I will file it as soon as I have a complete study and recommendation by my lawyers.”
Alvarez insisted it was unseemly that Robredo released the video message right after Alejano filed his own impeachment complaint.
Alvarez also accused Robredo of being the brains behind the alleged destabilization plot against the administration which included former coup plotters like Alejano.
Meanwhile, Malacañang on Saturday said the executive department would leave the matter to the discretion of the Speaker.
“Speaker Alvarez’s call to impeach the Vice President is within his purview,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said. “The evaluation of the possible grounds for impeachment and the decision to file the complaint are the prerogative of the House of Representatives.””©”©”The President is focused on governance and public welfare, especially the building of an inclusive and progressive nation free from crime, drugs and corruption,” he added.
In fact, Abella said the President is leaving for Myanmar and Thailand on Sunday to enhance ties with two of our Southeast Asian neighbors because the country is the current chairman of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.