SUPPORT for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte remained strong even among lawmakers from Mindanao and the Visayas, which are long considered political strongholds of the Duterte family, House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry L. Ridon said Saturday.
Ridon, chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts, said the overwhelming House vote to impeach Duterte showed that support for the complaint cut across political lines, regions and alliances.
The House of Representatives voted 257-25-9 to approve the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte, with overwhelming support coming from lawmakers across the country.
“‘Yun pong 257 ay 80% ng kabuuan po ng Kamara. So overwhelming po ‘yung boto to impeach the Vice President,” Ridon said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
“At tama po kayo na even within the strongest bailiwicks of the Vice President and Dutertes within Mindanao, within Cebu, within Visayas, hindi po ito nag-turn out for the Vice President,” Ridon added.
Official House tallies showed that 43 out of 50 lawmakers from the Visayas voted in favor of impeachment, while 41 out of 61 lawmakers from Mindanao also voted yes.
The voting pattern shattered claims that the impeachment effort was driven only by Luzon or “Imperial Manila.”
House records also showed that Luzon lawmakers overwhelmingly backed the impeachment, with 125 out of 142 congressmen voting in favor.
The House impeached Duterte over alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats against President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.
Duterte has denied wrongdoing and dismissed the charges as politically motivated and baseless.
Ridon said the scale of support for the impeachment demonstrated that lawmakers from different political blocs, regions and ideological persuasions believed there was sufficient basis to put Duterte on trial.
“So, I think that point needs to be made. And going into the Senate, dapat ‘yun din ‘yung talagang makita ng lahat ng mga political actors,” he said.
“Na talagang nagsalita po ‘yung Kongreso from all sides and shades and persuasions that there is a reason for impeaching the Vice President the second time under two different Congresses,” he added.
The Articles of Impeachment have already been transmitted to the Senate, which is expected to convene as an impeachment court on May 18 following the commitment earlier made by Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano to proceed with the constitutional process “forthwith.”
Ridon said the entire 11-member House prosecution panel would attend Monday’s opening of the impeachment court.
“‘Yung kabuuan po ng 11-person House prosecution panel ay pupunta po sa Senado ng alas tres ng hapon, May 18, para saksihan po yung pagbubukas ng Senate impeachment court,” Ridon said.
metrosundaily
