'Hindi ito pamumulitika': Bucoy responds to VP Duterte claim that impeachment is a political ploy
At A Glance
- House prosecution panel spokesman, lawyer Antonio Bucoy flatly rejected the allegations of Vice President Sara Duterte that the impeachment complaint against her was a product of Philippine politics.
House prosecution panel spokesman Antonio Bucoy (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
House prosecution panel spokesman, lawyer Antonio Bucoy flatly rejected the allegations of Vice President Sara Duterte that the impeachment complaint against her was a product of Philippine politics.
Specifically, the Vice President had claimed on Russian state media RT that her impeachment was a political ploy to remove her from the picture in the 2028 presidential race.
''Hindi ho ito pamumulitika (This is not politicking),'' Bucoy said in response to the lady official's remarks.
“Ang pamumulitika ho, walang basehan, gumawa ka ng kathang-isip na reklamo. Hindi ho ito kathang-isip eh. Totoo ito. Imbestigasyon ito. May mga findings ito, supportado ng ebidensya,” explained the seasoned litigator.
(Politicking entails fabricating a complaint from your imagination. This is not a fabrication. This is real. It's an investigation. There were findings that were backed by evidence.)
Bucoy said the case filed against Duterte was the result of a formal investigation and was backed by verified findings and solid documentation--far from the kind of baseless political attack the Vice President has portrayed it to be.
''Ito, hindi ito kathang-isip. Totoo, may ebidensya eh. So hindi ito pamumulitika (This is not a fabrication. It's real because there's evidence. So this isn't just politicking),” he underscored.
The impeachment complaint, endorsed by 215 House members--well above the one-third requirement for direct submission to the Senate impeachment court--accuses Vice President Duterte of committing graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.
It includes the allegations that Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds, including P125 million that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent in just 11 days in December 2022.