Impeachment vs. Duterte a 'useless exercise' –Enrile

With the numbers favoring the administration, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Thursday said any impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte would be a “useless exercise.”

“I think he will not be impeached. It will be a useless exercise,” Enrile told reporters in an interview at the sidelines of the Senate’s necrological service for the late Senator Leticia Ramos-Shahani.

“First of all, impeachment is a political act and you need 16 senators to declare him impeached. I don’t think they can get it,” Enrile added.

Enrile was head of the Senate when it held a trial for the impeachment of the late Chief Justice Renato Corona. The Senate voted 20-3 to convict Corona.

Enrile further said that Duterte cannot be impeached over the the alleged extrajudicial killings nor the issue of Benham Rise, which Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano said he might include in a supplemental complaint.

“He’s the President for heaven’s sake. He represents the sovereignty of the Philippines…Why should you prevent him from making a decision for the country? He’s elected for that purpose,” the senator said.

“I cannot read any culpable violation [of the Constitution] for our President to do that,” he added.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier expressed concern about reports that Chinese ships were spotted in the Benham Rise area last year.

Duterte, however, downplayed the issue, saying “there’s no incursion because may agreement kami.”

Enrile said it would be a “joke” to use such issue against the President.

“Kalokohan ‘yun. Hindi naiintindihan ang Constitution ng mga taong yun,” he said.

Among the basis of impeachment complaint filed by Alejano against Duterte last week are culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. —KBK, GMA News