Makabayan says no serious ouster move, just talks
REP. France Castro (PL, ACT) yesterday said there are allegedly ongoing talks about impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte in the House of Representatives, but these are “mere discussions of some congressmen and not a serious move” against the country’s second highest elected official.
“As it is though, we in the Makabayan bloc think that impeachment talks now are still premature, but it highlights the growing rift in the supposed UniTeam,” said the militant lawmaker who is a member of the Makabayan bloc.
“What we need now from VP Duterte is to explain how she spent her illegal P125 million confidential funds in 2022,” she added.
House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe dismissed Castro’s claim as “fake news,” saying “these rumors are baseless and detrimental to political unity.”
“Such rumors are mere attempts to sow discord between Vice President Sara Duterte and Speaker Martin Romualdez and there is no truth in them,” Dalipe said in a statement.
Dalipe told supporters of the Vice President that if she has not committed any wrongdoing, then “there is no reason for concern about these baseless rumors.”
Castro, a deputy minority leader, said many things have happened since the Makabayan bloc questioned the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) use of P125 million in confidential funds last year in just 11 days but she still has not explained it in detail until now.
“Sana naman ay sagutin na niya ngayon (I hope she answers it now),” said Castro, who has filed a grave threat complaint against former president Rodrigo Duterte for his statements in an October 11 interview where he said he wanted to kill Castro and other members of what he called were communist groups as he defended his daughter’s request for confidential funds under the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.
Romualdez has defended Castro from the elder Duterte’s death threat.
The House has realigned some P1.23 billion in confidential funds from several government agencies to efforts to boost security in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which prompted the former president to retaliate by saying the chamber has hidden “pork barrel” and the is most rotten institution in the country.
Among the confidential funds that were realigned under the House-approved version of the proposed P5.268 trillion General Appropriations Act (GAA) of 2024 were the OVP’s P500 million and the Department of Education’s P150 million requests. VP Duterte is the concurrent education secretary.
Last week, the House, acting as a Committee of the Whole, adopted Resolution No. 1414 “upholding the integrity of the House of Representatives and expressing appreciation, solidarity and support to the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.”
Following Castro’s disclosure of the supposed impeachment moves, Dalipa called for “adherence to truth and transparency” in politics and urged the public to refrain from spreading rumors “that could harm the democratic process and the unity of the nation’s leaders.”
Dalipe said Romualdez “has always shown respect towards the Vice President and such derogatory tactics (impeachment) are not part of his approach and his character.”
He also pointed out that the requirements for filing an impeachment complaint are stringent since it must be supported by substantial evidence and justifiable reasons.
“While any Filipino citizen has the right to file a complaint, the process is rigorous and requires significant evidence for it to be considered by Congress,” he said.
Rep. Erwin Tulfo (PL, ACT-CIS) also denied that there are discussions to impeach the Vice President, saying he has reached out to key leaders of the House, including the Speaker, and Rep. Zaldy Co (PL, Ako Bicol), chair of the Committee on Appropriations, who all confirmed to him that there is no truth to the rumors.
“This morning, I reached out to leaders, including Cong. Zaldy (Co) and the Speaker, to address rumors circulating in Congress. However, there is no substance to these discussions; no such thing has been deliberated among party leaders or the House leadership,” Tulfo told reporters in an interview.
“I’m unsure where Cong. Castro got this information, and upon inquiry, the leadership was equally surprised. I confirmed with my superiors, and there’s no such discussion,” he added.
The neophyte lawmaker also pointed out that, at present, there is no impeachable offense attributed to the Vice President, and any future considerations would depend on the presence of valid grounds such as violation of the Constitution, treason, or loss of public trust.
In reference to future possibilities, Tulfo emphasized the need to assess the substance of any potential impeachment proceedings.
“Perhaps, in the future, with additional facts, details may emerge, altering the situation. However, currently, there’s no substance, and it requires further review. As per the leadership, there’s no discussion or plan for impeachment when we return on Monday,” Tulfo said.
Responding to claims that the Speaker is undermining VP Sara due to potential competition in the 2028 elections, Dalipe stated that these rumors are “without merit.”
He said the Speaker “is currently dedicated to advancing legislation in support of President Bongbong Marcos’ agenda to improve the lives of Filipinos and no decision has been made regarding a presidential bid.”
