Marcos supporter confident Duterte wont intervene in Robredo impeach bid

A lawyer supporting losing vice presidential bet Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday said the impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo should push through even if it lacks the support of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Lawyer Larry Gadon, a losing senatorial candidate of the Marcos political party Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, said at a forum in Quezon City that they are confident Duterte will not intervene in a democratic process such as the possible impeachment of Robredo.

"President Duterte will always protect, will always uphold the democratic processes and this impeachment is part of the democratic processes," Gadon said.

"Hindi ito nangangahulugan na hindi namin sinusunod si President Duterte kundi ang tinitingnan lang dito ay ang kapakanan ng bansa hindi lamang kung anong mabuti kay Presidente Duterte na siya ay sundin dito sa bagay na 'to," he added.

Marcos loyalists Oliver Lozano and Melchor Chavez have endorsed an impeachment complaint against Robredo. A group of lawyers, mostly critics of Robredo, have also said they are preparing a similar complaint against the vice president.

Duterte on Thursday told Robredo's critics to "lay off" her and stop moves to impeach the vice president. He said Robredo should be allowed to speak her mind as she was merely exercising her "freedom of speech," though he has previously accused her of being in a hurry to take his position.

Former Negros Oriental representative Jacinto "Jing" Paras said during the same forum that if Duterte's remarks about the impeachment moves against Robredo are "contradictory."

"Contradictory rin yung sinasabi niya. Democracy, sinasabi niya, because Leni has been elected purportedly by the people. But democracy is also giving the power of the people to file an impeachment," Paras said.

"Medyo extreme yung sinasabi ng ating pangulo, pero sinasabi niyang ito rin ang possibility na pwede rin siyang (Duterte) tanggalin kasi democracy is either side of the coin, so to speak," he continued.

Robredo, in her video statement for a side session organized in line with the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs annual meeting, spoke about irregularities and alleged abuses in the administration's war on drugs.

Gadon believes Duterte "was only being nice" to Robredo and that he may have forgotten the contents of the vice president's speech, which he labeled as treasonous.

"The treacherous act was already committed. Perhaps President Duterte might have forgot something about it," he said. "I'm sure President Duterte will also respect the rights of the people to demand the removal of Leni Robredo."

Bongbong protest

Gadon, meanwhile, said that the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, should hasten its decision on the petition filed by Marcos on the results of last May 2016's vice presidential election.

The lawyer said that moves to impeach Robredo can be avoided "if only the Supreme Court will act swiftly on the petition of Bongbong Marcos."

"Kung ika-calendar lang 'yan ng Supreme Court, it will be finished in three to six months," he added.

Source : GMA