Mass protests demand urgent action on VP Sara’s impeachment complaints
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MANILA, Philippines — Civil society groups from various sectors and political parties staged a protest at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City on Friday, January 31, calling for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Localized rallies were also held across the country, with students from Metro Manila universities and marginalized groups converging at Liwasang Bonifacio to join multisectoral alliances in protesting against corruption, poverty and lack of accountability in the country — not just demanding Duterte’s impeachment.
According to Akbayan Party-List, around 10,000 attended the protest at the People Power Monument.
Nearly two months have passed since the first impeachment complaint against the vice president was filed on Dec. 2, 2024, but barely any progress has been made in the House of Representatives.
Three complaints have been lodged, all citing betrayal of public trust as grounds for impeachment and accusing Duterte of misusing confidential funds through the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Rep. Perci Cendaña (Akbayan Party-List), the endorser of the first complaint, lamented the delay in the lower chamber's processing of the complaints.
“Anong petsa na? Matatapos na ang Enero, wala pa ring aksyon ang Kongreso sa mga impeachment complaints. Magpapatalo at magpapasindak ba ang Kongreso kay Sara at sa kanyang chicheryang mga palusot?” he said.
(What date is it already? January is almost over, and Congress has yet to act on the impeachment complaints. Will Congress let Sara and her flimsy excuses intimidate them?)
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Meanwhile, former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said in a statement that the mass actions reflect the people’s demand for “national democracy, social justice and genuine peace.”
Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), a group of agricultural workers in the country, suggested that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s opposition to Duterte's impeachment may have influenced the slow handling of the complaints.
This aligns with Makabayan lawmakers' claim that Marcos is trying to block the impeachment complaints after publicly stating his opposition to removing his vice president.
Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin, however, maintained that Marcos has no power to influence Congress in handling the complaints. Still, the president admitted to urging the lower chamber to halt the impeachment, calling it a “waste of time.”
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Just two weeks ago, on January 13, the Iglesia Ni Cristo held a rally opposing the impeachment efforts against Duterte.
Drawn-out process
There has been no movement in the lower chamber for some time. But how much longer can the complaints be left waiting?
From the moment the House secretary general receives an impeachment complaint, the law mandates the complaint to be included in the Order of Business within 10 session days.
However, a session day in the lower chamber can span several days, not just one workday. This explains why, despite almost two months passing, no action has been taken.
Philstar.com reached out to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco for the number of remaining session days and will update the article upon his response.
As of January 13, when Congress resumed, only five session days remained to refer the complaints to House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Velasco previously raised concerns about the limited time remaining for the complaints to move through the full process — referral to the Committee on Justice, deliberations and a plenary vote — before reaching the Senate for trial.
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Only a few session days remain before the 19th Congress adjourns in June, and the only way to fast-track the impeachment is for a complaint to secure the endorsement of 103 House members.
Once an impeachment complaint is filed, the Constitution stipulates that no further impeachment proceedings can be initiated against the same official within one year.
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