THE impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to be referred to the House of Representatives’ committee on justice this week to enable lawmakers to begin the process, a House official said Sunday.
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, chairman of the committee on rules, said his panel will include the impeachment complaint against the President in the agenda of the plenary for referral to the House committee on justice chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali.
Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano filed the impeachment complaint against the President for betrayal of public trust and culpable violations of the Constitution for his administration’s war on drugs and the Davao Death Squad when he was mayor.
Deputy Speaker and Batangas Rep. Raneo Abu, an administration ally, said he believes the impeachment complaint filed against the President will be thrown out.
Abu acknowledged that the impeachment process is a numbers game and that President Duterte’s allies will not support the complaint.
“Expect no fireworks here. The allies of President Duterte will reject this political exercise being baseless, unfounded and divisive,” Abu said.
Abu added that the President is a very popular leader committed to serve the interests of “the poorest of the poor.”
Umali earlier vowed to act on the impeachment complaint against Duterte as soon as his panel receives the referral from the rules committee.
He said the House committee on justice, which deliberates on impeachment complaints, will dispose of the Duterte complaint before Congress adjourns sine die on June 2; and that the process would be “short.”