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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House leaders on VP Duterte camp: 'Natatakot na sila'

House leaders on VP Duterte camp: 'Natatakot na sila'

Published Feb 19, 2025 08:07 am

At A Glance

  • Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David "Jay-Jay" Suarez, and Assistant Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre have interpreted Vice President Sara Duterte's filing of a petition to halt her impending Senate impeachment trial as an act of desperation that betrays her mounting fear.

Sara Duterte.jpgVice President Sara Duterte (Photo courtesy of OVP)

Ranking congressman have interpreted Vice President Sara Duterte's filing of a petition to halt her impending Senate impeachment trial as an act of desperation that betrays her mounting fear.

Sharing this take were Senior Deputy Speaker Pampanga 3rd district Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales Jr., Deputy Speaker Quezon 2nd district Rep. David “Jay-Jay” Suarez, and Assistant Majority Leader Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.

The three brushed off the petition filed by Vice President Duterte's camp before the Supreme Court (SC) as nothing but a baseless legal maneuver.

The House of Representatives has impeached Duterte last Feb. 5 and is now waiting on the other chamber in Congress, the Senate, to convene into a quasi-judicial impeachment court.

It just so happened that Congress went on recess after Feb. 5 to make way for the May 12 mid-term elections.

“The Constitution is clear – impeachment is the sole prerogative of Congress. VP Duterte’s petition is nothing more than a desperate attempt to evade accountability,” Gonzales said.

“Natatakot na sila kaya gusto nang pigilan ang impeachment process. Mukhang totoo ang allegations on corruption lalo’t masisilip ang bank records (The want to stop the impeachment process because they're now afraid. Look like the allegations on corruption have basis since their bank records would be scrutinized.)

For Suarez, Duterte’s petition sets a dangerous precedent of judicial overreach into a purely constitutional process.

“The House will not be deterred by legal theatrics. We will continue to uphold our constitutional mandate and ensure that the impeachment process proceeds fairly and transparently,” Suarez said.

He also underscored that Duterte’s move “reeks of panic and a blatant effort to undermine the impeachment process even before it formally begins".

“If she truly believes she is innocent, she should face the charges head-on instead of running to the courts for protection. This attempt to short-circuit the process only raises more questions about what she is trying to hide,” he pointed out.

Acridre can't help but note Duterte's prior declaration months ago wherein she "welcomed" the impeachment complaint.

"Now, she’s pulling every trick in the book to stop it from moving forward. If she truly had nothing to hide, why the sudden fear? Her hypocrisy is staggering," he said, adding that Duterte is "clearly rattled".

"And she has every reason to be scared. The House prosecution panel is prepared to lay out damning evidence against her, and the Filipino people are watching," Acidre said.

Citing the results of a recent survey, 73 percent of Filipinos believe she must face a Senate trial for her role in the alleged assassination plot against President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

"She should be scared—because the truth is closing in, and no amount of deception will save her from it," Acidre said.

Related Tags

Supreme Court (SC) Impeachment Sara Duterte
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