As Makabayan starts signature drive; 3rd complaint likely next week
The Iglesia ni Cristo is set to hold a large rally against the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte before the House of Representatives.
This as the Makabayan bloc already began a signature drive to gather the required vote of at least one-third of the House members to transmit the second impeachment rap to the Senate.
A third impeachment complaint is also being studied by some lawmakers, House secretary General Reginald Velasco.
“There were some congressmen who talked to me to alert me that they are contemplating filing or endorsing next week. That’s why we are on hold (at the House). We will know next week if they will push through with the filing of the complaint,” he said.
Velasco, however, declined to give details, saying there was an agreement to keep it confidential until the lawmakers file or endorse the complaint,” Velasco added.
The INC, however, said it supports the position of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that pursuing an impeachment case at this point will be a waste of time.
The announcement was made during a program on NET25, INC’s media outlet.
“The members of the Iglesia are preparing to hold a rally. 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.
Subardiaga said preparations for the nationwide rally are already underway.
The impeachment complaints before the House 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.
The Makabayan bloc, for its part, said it only needs to secure 106 signatures to have its complaint automatically transmitted to the Senate for trial.
“This is not a simple violation. Using the funds in this way is systematic theft from the public treasury. Such corruption should not be overlooked,” ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said.
“This is not just about numbers. It is about the integrity of public service and the trust of the people. Sara Duterte must be held accountable for betraying the public’s trust,” added Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel.
Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said: “We urge our colleagues in Congress to act with integrity and political courage by supporting this impeachment resolution. During the budget deliberations, the misuse of confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) was exposed. It is now up to the House of Representatives to fulfill its constitutional duty to hold erring public officials accountable.”
“To the Filipino people, we call on you to stay vigilant and pressure your district representatives to sign the impeachment resolution. Let us demand justice for the misuse of public funds and ensure this case reaches the Senate for a fair trial,” Brosas added.
Senate President Francis Escudero said the Upper House is not yet preparing for a possible impeachment trial.
“I don’t want to assume what will happen and I don’t want to jump to conclusions, one way or the other,” he said.
“If I tell my colleagues to start preparing, to ‘ready, get set’ but there’s no ‘go’ yet, they might think I’m favoring or leaning toward the filing,” Escudero added.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “INC to mobilize nationwide rally against impeachment efforts”