Diokno, Adiong say survey proves even Mindanaoans want VP Duterte to face impeachment trial
At A Glance
- There is undeniable public clamor to hold Vice President Sara Duterte accountable as a recent survey showed that even the majority of her fellow Mindanaoans want her subjected to an impeachment trial, two House members said on Wednesday, July 16.
There is undeniable public clamor to hold Vice President Sara Duterte accountable as a recent survey showed that even the majority of her fellow Mindanaoans want her subjected to an impeachment trial, two House members said on Wednesday, July 16.
Akbayan Party-list Rep. Chel Diokno--one of the upcoming House prosecutor in the impeachment trial--said that the recent OCTA survey results that showed that 78 of Filipinos support the trial proved that the public wasn't satisfied with Duterte's response to the congressional investigation into her office's alleged misuse of confidential funds.
"It shows that the stance taken by the Vice President, when the matter was being investigated by the Congress, ay hindi satisfied ang taumbayan, pati ang kapatid at kababayan natin sa Mindanao (that the people were not satisfied, even our brothers and countrymen in Mindanao)," Diokno said in a press conference.
A total of 80 percent of the surveyed individuals in Mindanao, where the Dutertes have a stronghold, agreed there is a need to put her on trial.
Diokno said Duterte had the chance to clear her name and shed light on the allegations against her during the House inquiry in the previous 19th Congress, but "she did not take advantage of those opportunities".
That "left everybody hanging and everybody left wondering what really happened," said Diokno.
"Kung sana naisagot nya na yung mga lumalabas noon sa mga imbestigasyon ng Kongreso, hindi na sana tayo aabot sa ganito (Had she answered all the allegations during the investigation of Congress, we would not come this way)," he said.
Meanwhile, Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the recent survey vindicated the congressmen who voted in favor of Duterte's impeachment.
"Holding each official, the vice president in this particular matter, accountable to her actions is a vindication from the public that there's really a clamor," Adiong said.
"Nagpapatunay po ito na (It only proves that) we are on the right track, what we did was actually to serve not any particular political agenda but for the interest of the nation, and the people understood that message," he added.