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VP Sara impeachment, wage hike urged at Liwasang Bonifacio protest


Protesters gathered at the Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila on Friday to demand the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte and the passage of a wage hike bill.

“Since Congress sessions will end next week, we demand that impeachment complaints be immediately transmitted to the Speaker's Office and for the House of Representatives to endorse it,” Bayan Secretary-General Mong Palatino told GMA News Online in a message.

On January 10, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed that all three impeachment complaints against Duterte had been verified.

The complaints cite issues regarding the use of confidential funds in her offices and her alleged assassination remarks against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Duterte welcomed the impeachment case, stating, “So, okay din 'yung impeachment case dahil ako lang ang tinitira doon, ako lang iniimbestigahan noon. Ako lang ang inaatake ng impeachment case.”

“Hindi na kasali ang nga kasamahan ko sa OVP and mga dati kong kasama sa DepEd. Masagot na ng final kung ano 'yung mga inaakusa nila sa akin,” she added.

(At least I am the only one being investigated and attacked, not my colleagues in the Office of the Vice President and my former team at the Department of Education. Now, I can finally respond to the accusations.)

Wage hike, government accountability

Aside from impeachment, protesters called for the swift passage of a wage hike bill.

On Thursday, the House Committee on Labor and Employment approved a P200 across-the-board daily wage increase for private sector workers following deliberations with labor groups and lawmakers.

Bayan Chairperson Teddy Casiño echoed the protesters’ sentiments, calling for accountability from both past and present government officials.

“In particular, we demand the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte and the prosecution of former President Rodrigo Duterte by both the International Criminal Court (ICC) and local courts,” Casiño said.

He added that the mass actions also aimed to address poverty, corruption, and impunity under the Marcos administration, including the abolition of intelligence and confidential funds.

“The people demand an end to the pork barrel system, especially in the way that infrastructure projects and financial assistance programs (AKAP, AICS, TUPAD, medical assistance) are implemented,” he said.

“No to ghost projects, kickbacks, and commissions! No, to vote buying and ayuda politics! We also demand the abolition of the much-abused intelligence and confidential funds,” he added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News

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