Solons: QuadComm, House probes nothing to do with impeachment plan vs VP Sara

Several House members on Monday said the QuadComm, which has been investigating the drug war of the previous administration, and the panel that is probing the budget use of Vice President Sara Duterte’s offices, have nothing to do with any impeachment plan against her. 

In a press conference, 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez explained that the hearings of the QuadComm and the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability have different agenda and both panels are pursuing hearings in relation to their respective functions. 

“We have to make a distinction. Our QuadComm hearings and Good Government hearings are not in any way related to impeachment. Although there are people who would have that opinion na ‘yung lumalabas dito sa mga hearings na ‘to [those revealed in these hearings] would be a ground, that would be a separate thing,” Gutierrez said. 

“It should not be taken that if the President made a statement about impeachment, that wouldn’t in any way affect the functions of the committee. Separate naman po ‘yun. But if however some people would find a basis to file any complaint based on what they found there, then that’s something that would be a separate procedure altogether,” he added. 

The solon was referring to the statement of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday, calling on lawmakers not to file an impeachment complaint against Duterte. 

Marcos had expressed belief that an impeachment plan against the Vice President would not benefit the lives of Filipinos.

“This is not important. This does not make any difference to even one, single Filipino life, so why waste time on this?” the President said. 

“What will happen to the-- if somebody files an impeachment? It will tie down the House, it will tie down the Senate. It will just take up all our time, for what? For nothing. None of this will help improve a single Filipino life. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a storm in a tea cup,” he added.

Taguig Rep. Amparo Maria Zamora, however, stressed that House members could not stop any lawmaker or any citizen from filing an impeachment complaint against Duterte even after Marcos’ call.

For Gutierrez, Marcos’ remark was more of an appeal, and not an order. 

He also said that the House will still give due process to any complaints filed against Duterte. 

“We listen and we respect the opinion of the President. Of course he’s coming from a different place, the executive…but we have to take note that the executive branch is different from the legislative branch. We know naman from his statement, it’s actually a plea, it’s advice, he’s not really trying to tell the legislative what to do,” Gutierrez said. 

“But given that we’re the legislative and this is a Constitutional mandate po, nasa Constitution natin ang process of impeachment, I think we are duty-bound to not really entertain, but to hear out if there are any impeachment complaints filed,” he added. 

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong, meanwhile, believes that the President’s statement showed that he wanted to put the interest of the country first above self-interest, even as the alleged threat of Duterte was directed to him, his wife First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and his cousin Martin Romualdez.

“I think the President is just being so particular in trying to prioritize concerns of our country which is basically the problem of [economy],” Adiong said. 

Members of civil society organizations, religious leaders, sectoral representatives, and families of victims of extrajudicial killings on Monday afternoon filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte.

Duterte earlier said she had contracted someone to kill Marcos and members of his family if an alleged plot against her succeeds. 

She later on clarified that her statement was not a threat, saying she only highlighted the alleged threat to her security. She also said that her remark was "taken out of logical context."

Authorities, however, have considered Duterte’s remarks as a threat to the President and a matter of national security. —AOL, GMA Integrated News