TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre on Thursday said he was confident that at least 200 members or two-thirds of the membership of the House of Representatives would vote for impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday.
He told a news conference that “based on our monitoring , I think we’re going to hit the majority number, we’re hoping the result would be as much as or even higher than the impeachment last time, we’re hoping that at least 200 or 215, that’s really the goal.”
“As of now, I can confidently say it will be above 180,” he said, referring to vote estimates made earlier by House leaders, including Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno of Antipolo City.
Acidre based his confidence on the clarificatory hearings conducted by the committee on justice “when evidence was actually was really presented and examined as to their veracity and determination of probable cause.”
“Kasi kung pansin niyo naman last time, it was a different route that we took to pass the impeachment complaint. But this time we have everything, full session, full committee hearing, and the members themselves. Kasi kahit hindi ka member ng committee, nandun ka naman, you were monitoring and everyone was able to see,” he said.
He said after the clarificatory hearings, more House members were convinced by the evidence to support the impeachment of VP Duterte.
“Mas dumami ‘yung kumbaga, kung meron pang nagdadalawang isip, by the 2nd and 3rd (hearing), medyo mas marami na, dumami yung mas nakumbinsi dahil sa ebidensya,” he said.
He pointed out that at the start of the impeachment process, many House members had second thoughts on supporting the Vice President’s impeachment.
“Nung simula hindi masyadong lahat kumbinsido. Pero as we started to go through the evidence, mas klaro at nagiging mas pulido ang ating argumento na dapat na-impeach ang VP,” he added.
Acidre said even people who had watched the Justice committee proceedings on live television and social media had been enlightened by the evidence presented to support the impeachment complaints against VP Duterte.
“I know for the last couple of weeks, even months, people have been actually studying the progress and the details of the impeachment complaints,” he said.
Asked about the votes of the party-list coalition, Acidre said at least 47 out of the more than 62-63 members of the group would go for impeachment.
He added that he would reach out to those with reservations, “but understandably there are some party list who are close to the Vice President and to the former administration, and we know naman na in the spirit of respect, mutual respect, we understand the position that they’re taking.”
He stressed that he trusts “that my colleagues will decide according to their judgement based on evidence, based on reason, and of course what is in the best interest of the country.”
