VP Duterte impeachment a campaign issue? Alyansa's Tiangco answers
At A Glance
- Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco sounds off on whether or not the senatorial candidates under the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas would use Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment as a campaign issue.
Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN, Facebook)
Will the senatorial candidates under the administration-backed Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas use Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment as a campaign issue?
Alyansa campaign manager Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco was asked this question over the weekend, just days before the launch of the campaign period for the May 2025 mid-term elections.
Tiangco basically said it's the candidates' personal call.
"It's up to them individually," he said
Comprising the Alyansa slate are former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III; former Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary Benhur Abalos; former Senators Panfilo Lacson, Manny Pacquiao; Senators Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Francis Tolentino; Makati City Mayor Abby Binay; House Deputy Speaker Las Piñas City lone district Rep. Camille Villar; and House Deputy Majority Leader ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo.
At any rate, Tiangco said that Vice President Duterte's impeachment was simply too recent to affect the field work that Alyansa has done for senatorial aspirants.
"We have data to show--of course this was pro-impeachment--we have data to show kung ano yung mga issues sa kanila, kung saan sila malakas, saan yung soft votes nila, saan yung hard votes nila.
(We have data to show what are the issues about them, their bailiwicks, where their soft votes are and where their hard votes are.)
"So we've given it to them individually. So gagawa sila diskarte (they will create their own plan) based on their own," he explained.
"But this issue has not been factored in noong nag-field work (when field work was carried out)," noted the Alyansa campaign manager.
The campaign period will start on Feb. 11.
Why Tiangco didn't sign impeachment rap
It was only last Wednesday when--on the strength of 215 signatures from congressmen--a duly endorsed and verified impeachmemt complaint against Vice President Duterte was transmitted to the Senate.
Tiangco didn't not sign the particular impeachment complaint.
Asked why he chose not to sign, the veteran congressman said his signature didn't matter since there were more than enough to effect the direct referral of the raps to the Senate.
He clarified that nobody from the House leadership convinced him to sign the complaint.