Accuses Makabayan lawmakers of ‘opportunism’

An official of the National Security Council said the impeachment moves by militant groups against Vice President Sara Duterte was a form of “political opportunism.”

“Makabayan’s call for impeachment…very clearly, it is political opportunism and for political mileage,” NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a press briefing yesterday.

Makabayan lawmakers endorsed the second impeachment complaint against Duterte.

The bloc said it has already begun a signature drive to gather the required vote of 106 or at least one-third of the House members to transmit the second impeachment rap to the Senate.

“The position of the NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) is very clear – we agree with the president. We agree that the Makabayan’s impeachment of VP Sara is a distraction from the urgent issues facing the country,” Malaya said.

“The President is correct. It (impeachment) will tie down the Senate and the House. The President is just concerned with addressing the needs of the Filipino people,” he added.

The Iglesia ni Cristo earlier announced it will hold a large rally in support of the President’s position against pursuing impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

“The Iglesia ni Cristo supports President Bongbong Marcos’s opinion against the impeachment pushed by certain sectors. The Iglesia ni Cristo is for peace; we do not want any form of unrest coming from any side,” said program host Gen Subardiaga over NET25, Iglesia’s media arm.

As this developed, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said it was coordinating with other agencies in preparation for the INC rally.

“We are coordinating with the police and local government units. We will manage the traffic and we will make sure the roads are passable,” MMDA chairperson Romando Artes said yesterday.

“We will also be coordinating with the rally organizer to ensure they don’t disrupt traffic,” he added.

The complaint endorsed by the Makabayan bloc accused Duterte of betraying public trust for the alleged misuse of millions of pesos in public funds while she was Education secretary.

The complaint also cited the “systematic cover-up” of the fund misuse through anomalous documents submitted before the Commission on Audit and the alleged “deliberate obstruction” of congressional investigation and oversight.

The impeachment raps added to Duterte’s legal woes as she faces a probe into her alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez, as well as another inquiry into her use of government funds.

Meanwhile, a House leader supported Senate President Francis Escudero’s appeal for senators to avoid public statements on the impeachment complaints against Duterte to ensure impartiality.

Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V agreed with Escudero’s stance that senators should refrain from prejudging cases that may come before them.

According to the Philippine Constitution, the House has the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment.

Once a verified complaint is filed, it is referred to the House Committee on Justice, which determines its sufficiency in form and substance.

If the committee finds the complaint sufficient, it submits a report to the House plenary.

A vote of at least one-third of all House members is required to approve the Articles of Impeachment, which are then transmitted to the Senate for trial.