Davao del Norte 1st district Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook, MANILA BULLETIN)

Davao del Norte 1st district Representative and former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez is predicting a doomsday scenario for the country in the event that Vice President Sara Duterte--elected by a record 32 million Filipinos--gets impeached by Congress. 

"I do not doubt the capability of the House of Representatives to impeach the Vice President. It is ultimately a numbers game. But the unintended consequences will be terrible," Alvarez, a staunch ally of former president Rodrigo Duterte, said in a statement Wednesday, Sept. 11. 

"In effect, a body composed of around 300 representatives will decide to overrule the direct votes of 32 million Filipinos. The country risks descending into chaos if this reckless political move proceeds," said the ex-Speaker. 

"Thus, an impeachment, within this context, is political suicide for the administration and chaotic for the nation. It runs the risk of being viewed by certain sectors, including the 32 million voters of the Vice President, as triggering the Constitutional obligation of the military - similar to what happened in the 1986 Edsa Revolution - when the armed forces intervened in order to protect the people and the state. 

"This is a dangerous path to tread, and one that would destabilize the nation further," warned Alvarez, who campaigned against eventual president Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. during the May 2022 elections. 

The Mindanao congressman added: "It would be the height of recklessness for Congress to impeach a Vice President who not only garnered the highest votes for any elected national official in the country's history but also currently enjoys net trust, approval, and satisfaction ratings higher than other government officials." 

Alvarez's colleagues in the vastly pro-Marcos House have repeatedly denied any plot to impeach Vice President Duterte. 

"Vice President Duterte’s overwhelming electoral victory in 2022, with 32 million votes—more than the votes for President Marcos—reflects the immense trust that Filipinos have placed in her leadership," Alvarez said. 

"To challenge this mandate through an impeachment, based on shallow political grounds, is a direct affront to the sovereign will of the people," he noted. 

Vice President Duterte is the eldest daughter of ex-president Duterte.