Speaker Alvarez mulls impeachment rap vs Robredo

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Friday that he is considering the filing an impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo following her video message to a United Nations forum on illegal drugs.

“I’m still studying it. Maybe the angle on betrayal of public trust,” Alvarez, the president of the ruling PDP-Laban political party, said.

He said that a move to impeach the vice president might be done as soon as his legal team had completed its study and made its recommendations on the matter.

Early on Friday, the speaker claimed that Robredo was behind the move to impeach the president at the House of Representatives.

Without offering evidence, Alvarez said in a television interview with GMA-7 that Robredo would be the one to benefit if President Rodrigo Duterte was removed.

When asked if Robredo had a direct hand in the impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano, Alvarez said: “Ay definitely yes, sino bang magbe-benefit d'yan? (Who else can benefit from it?)”

Alvarez cited Robredo’s video message to the UN body and her fear of losing her vice-presidential post as evidence of her eagerness to assume the presidency.

Alvarez also claimed ahead of the electoral tribunal's verdict on a poll protest case that Robredo feared losing her position because she knew that she really did not win last year’s vice presidential election.

“At sa tingin ko  talagang walang basehan at ito ay nagmamadali lamang dahil malamang natatakot siya na kapag binilang ‘yung resulta noong eleksyon ay talagang hindi aabot, dahil alam naman niya na hindi totoong talagang nanalo siya,” he claimed.

Alvarez also chided Robredo for sending the UN a taped message that allegedly contained issues in the Philippines.

“Maliwanag na maliwanag po. Nakita naman po natin na kahit dun sa United Nations ay nagpadala pa siya ng tape, na sinasabi niya na yung mga reklamo dito sa Pilipinas daw,” he said.

Duterte clears Leni, but Alvarez disagrees

Alvarez also contradicted the pronouncement of Duterte on Sunday when he cleared Robredo of any involvement in moves to destabilize his government.

“Yun po ang pananaw ng ating pangulo ngunit ang aking pananaw ay iba naman,” he said.

The speaker also clarified his statement yesterday after the news on the filing of an impeachment rap against Duterte broke. In another interview, Alvarez said that those supporting the removal of the president were “entitled to their own stupidity.”

Alvarez said that what he labeled as “stupid” was filing an impeachment complaint which lacked substance. It was not clear if Alvarez had already read the complaint before that statement.

He said that an impeachment complaint would consume the time of the House which could otherwise be devoted to tackling legislative measures that would benefit the public.

 “Marami pong nakabinbin na maraming panukalang batas kung saan makikinabang ang publiko. Yun po ang sinasabi ko. Kapag nag-umpisa tayo ng impeachment process na ganyan sigurado tayo na kakain po yan ng maraming oras at panahon,” Alvarez said.