Magdalo party-list solon files impeachment complaint vs. Duterte

Magdalo Party-list Rep. Gary Alejano on Thursday filed an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte.

NOW: Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano files impeachment complaint vs. Pred. Duterte before House Office of Sec. Gen. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/WvxX43ig7L

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) March 16, 2017

The complaint was filed with the Office of the Secretary General at the House of Representatives.

LOOK: First page of the impeachment complaint vs. Duterte. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/AQeEsYM76D

— Erwin Colcol (@erwincolcol) March 16, 2017

Alejano, in his 16-page complaint, cited the following as grounds for Duterte's impeachment:

• Culpable violation of the Constitution
• Engaging in bribery
• Betrayal of public trust
• Graft and corruption
• Other high crimes

"Kami po ay naniniwala na si Pangulong Duterte ay hindi nararapat na manungkulan bilang pinakamataas na pinuno ng ating bansa," Alejano said in a press conference held after he filed the complaint.

"Naniniwala kami na ang impeachment ay ilalaban hindi lang dito sa loob ng Kongreso, kundi pati na rin sa labas," he added.

Palace: Destab plot

Malacañang on Thursday dismissed the impeachment complaint filed against Duterte as a "dramatic" part of a "larger scheme of things" to destabilize the administration. 

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte did not commit any impeachable offense.

House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, meanwhile, brushed off the impeachment complaint, saying, "We are all entitled to our own stupidity."

Several senators were divided on Alejano's move to file an impeachment complaint, while Senator Panfilo Lacson said "at least this time, they are not engaging in another Oakwood-type of adventure."

Alejano and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV were part of the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003 against the Arroyo administration.

Duterte's top legal advisers, meanwhile, expressed confidence the impeachment complaint will not prosper.

"Suntok sa buwan 'yan," Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II said. 

Solicitor General Jose Calida echoed Aguirre's position, saying those who want to unseat Duterte "must be dreaming."

War on drugs

Alejano cited the thousands of people who died in the administration's war on drugs as a reason for charging Duterte of culpably violating the Constitution.

"Unang-una, ang pinakamahalaga dito ang state killing sa drug offenders. Ang pagpapatay sa mga Pilipino na hindi dumaan sa tamang proseso at mahigit nang walong libo ang namatay sa ngayon," he said.

Another is the more than 200 individuals who allegedly died in the hands of the Davao Death Squad during Duterte's term as city mayor, Alejano said.

As for graft, the congressman cited the President's "unexplained wealth" which he failed to declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

"Napapaloob dito 'yung kanyang bank accounts. Marami ito. Ang kabuuan nito ay around P2 billion at hindi ito dineclare sa SALN," Alejano said.

"Related to that ay ang pag-employ niya ng more than 11,000 na ghost employees sa Davao noong siya ay mayor. Ito ay maliwanag na violation ng ating Constitution," he added.

Alejano said they are still mulling filing other complaints.

"'Yung ibang reklamo ay pinag-aaralan pa natin, specifically 'yung culpable violation of the Constitution sa pagkakaroon niya ng secret arrangement with China na hindi alam ng taong bayan at kanyang Gabinete," he said.

"Ngayon narinig natin ang panghihimasok ng China sa Benham Rise. Ito ay pinag-aaralan pa namin sa ngayon," he added.

Alejano is confident that many of his fellow congressmen would support him in his complaint.

"Kung numbers ang pag-uusapan natin, nakita natin sa death penalty bill kung paano nabraso ang liderato ng Kongreso. Kung 'yun ang pagbabasehan natin, uphill battle tayo," he said.

Alejano said they need the vote of at least one-third of all the House members for the complaint to be raised to the Senate.

"So kung 293 [congressmen], more or less 100 para makausad," he said.

Not destab plot

Alejano, however, clarified that the move was not made to destabilize the administration.

"Ano bang depinisyon ng destabilization? Dapat malinawag tayo diyan. Kung ikaw ay nag-criticize sa administrasyon, 'yan ba ay destabilization?" he said.

"Kung ito ay ginagawa natin bilang demokrasya sa bayan, destabilization ba ito?" he added.

"Walang kasamang extralegal dito, walang kudeta, walang other means. Kaya kami dumaan sa mainstream, dahil 'yun ang isinasaad sa Constitution," he further said.

This was the first time that an impeachment complaint was filed against Duterte.

The move came a day after House Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas declared vacant the committee chairmanships of 12 congressmen who voted against the death penalty bill. —With reports from Trisha Macas/Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/RSJ/KG, GMA News