Former senator Leila de Lima (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)

Former senator Leila de Lima has addressed the biggest criticism so far in connection with the impeachment complaint filed in the House of Representatives against Vice President Sara Duterte--that is, the inclusion of allegations that have nothing to do with her vice presidency.

De Lima, in a Radyo 5 interview Tuesday, Dec. 3, said there were two reasons why the complaints including such offenses under the 24 articles of impeachment against Duterte.

The first reason is to give the would-be senator-judges a better idea of the Vice President’s overall character.

"Naisip po ng mga coalition of complainants with the assistance of counsel na pwedeng ilagay po yan para ipakita yung fitness ng magiging respondent at ito nga, si VP Sara, sa kanyang pagiging Vice President," De Lima said.

(With the assistance of counsel, the coalition of complainants thought of doing this to show the fitness of the would-be respondent, VP Sara, to the position of Vice President.)

"The fact that she's involved according to the affidavit of Arturo Lascanas nung siya ay nakaupo pa as [Davao] mayor from 2010 to 2013, and 2016 to 2022, ito ay parang additional na circumstance, additional fact na magpapakita na hindi karapat-dapat yung pinapakita nito yung overall capacity niya na lack of capacity na maging Vice President," said the ML Party-list first nominee.

(The fact that she's involved according to the affidavit of Arturo Lascanas when she sat as Davao mayor from 2010 to 2013, and 2016 to 2022, this is like an additional circumstance, an additional fact that shows she isn't worthy, that her overall capacity as Vice President is lacking.) 

Lascañas is a self-confessed hitman of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and is working with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the bid to hold former president Rodrigo Duterte accountable for his bloody war on drugs.

Listed among the articles of impeachment in the complaint filed on Dec. 2 were the following allegations: 

-Amassing P111 million in personal accounts and hundreds of millions in joint accounts with her father, Rodrigo Duterte, between 2007 and 2015;

-Direct involvement in the extrajudicial killings through the Davao Death Squad during her terms as mayor; and

-Unexplained wealth as reflected in her SALNs (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth) from 2007 to 2017.

The younger Duterte assumed the vice presidency on June 30, 2022.

"Kinekwestiyon natin ngayon yung kanyang karakter, yung kanyang ugali, yung kanyang pagkaka-ano sa mga iba-ibang krimen, hindi lang yung mga current, yung tungkol nga sa misuse ng public funds which could be plunder, and which is a high crime; and yun din na mga dati na ginawa niya sa Davao. Yun lang po ang ibig ipakita ng coalition of complainants," De Lima said.

(We're now questioning her character, her attitude, her alleged part in various crimes, not just the current ones about misuse ng public funds which could be plunder, and which is a high crime; and what he did in the past in Davao. That's what the coalition of complainants wanted to show.)

'Mas maigi yung babawasan lang'

The second reason according to De Lima is to provide the House with an exhaustive list of the Vice President’s alleged misdeed.

"The ball is with the House of Representatives," De Lima said, citing in particular the Committee on Justice.

"Hindi naman sila obligado na ia-approve nila or tatanggapin nila yung lahat ng grounds na yan. At the end of the day, ang pipili dyan ay yung House of Representatives," she said of the committee members.

(They are not obligated to approve or accept all of the grounds for impeachment. At the end of the day, it's the House that will make the choice.)

"Mas maigi yung babawasan lang, kaysa magdadagdag pa. Baka maisip pa later na magdagdag. Yun po ang naging mindset," the ex-senator, who served as spokesperson of the impeachment complaint filers, said.

(It's better to simply take away from the list, than to add to it. The thought of adding to the list might come later. That was the mindset.)