(Eagle News) — The Magdalo lawmaker who filed an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that the former military “Magdalo” officers planned this thoroughly, including Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, so they can remove the President from office.
Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano also said that included in their plan is to time the filing of the impeachment complaint against the President on the first day of recess of the House of Representatives, so that Congress would not be able to junk this immediately.
“Finile po namin tamang-tama sa unang araw ng recess. Talagang sinadya po namin, para mabigyan po ng panahon ang mga miyembro ng kongreso na makapagnilay-nilay habang nakabakasyon,” ,” Alejano said in an interview with GMA’s News to Go.
Congress is on recess until May 2 and this is why the Magdalo party decided to file the impeachment complaint on Thursday, March 16, the first day of the House of Representatives’ long break.
So for one-and-a-half months, Congress cannot act to hear the impeachment complaint, and more importantly, Lejano said, the so-called “supermajority” in Congress cannot junk their complaint.
“They cannot just junk this. We are a witness on how (fast) the death penalty was passed in Congress” Alejano said .
The long break will allow the members of congress to “come up with consultations, caucus and discussions with their parties,” Lejano stressed.
“So important po na dumaan sa ganyan,” he said.
Alejano, however, was quick to say that the other independent lawmakers did not know about the Magdalo’s plan to file a complaint.
Neither, does Vice-President Leni Robredo know about this, he said.
Alejano claimed that the decision to file an impeachment complaint was the consensus of all the 23 members of the Magdalo executive committee which is composed of former military officers who figured in the failed Oakwood mutiny of 2003, and the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007 during the term of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Based on Article 11 of the Constitution, a verified complaint for impeachment “may be filed by any Member of the House of Representatives or by any citizen upon a resolution or endorsement by any Member thereof, which shall be included in the Order of Business within ten session days, and referred to the proper Committee within three session days thereafter.”
“The Committee, after hearing, and by a majority vote of all its Members, shall submit its report to the House within sixty session days from such referral, together with the corresponding resolution. The resolution shall be calendared for consideration by the House within ten session days from receipt thereof,” the Constitution stated.
But since the Magdalo group filed the impeachment complaint on the first day of the congressional recess, this can only be calendared after May 2 when congress resumes its session.
Lejano said this would thus give them more time to talk to more people and convince sectors to impeach the President.
“Kasama po yan. We will talk to different groups and members of Congress,” he said.
“We’re trying to exhaust all available means for us to express our grievances,” he added.
Lejano said filing a complaint against President Duterte before the International Criminal Court is also an option they are considering if the impeachment process fails.
“It’s a possibility,” he said.
