Lawmakers defend signing of Sara impeach complaint

The Manila Times

Lawmakers defend signing of Sara impeach complaint  Lanao Del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong; Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor and 1-Rider Partylist Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez, members of the prosecution panel for the House of Representatives, say they have a duty to sign the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte despite a possible backlash from their constituents during a press conference at the House on Feb. 6, 2025. They added that they were willing to answer questions from the public regarding the impeachment case of the vice president during the campaign period.   Video by Red Mendoza  Subscribe to The Manila Times Channel - https://tmt.ph/YTSubscribe   Visit our website at https://www.manilatimes.net   Follow us:  Facebook - https://tmt.ph/facebook  Instagram - https://tmt.ph/instagram  Twitter - https://tmt.ph/twitter  DailyMotion - https://tmt.ph/dailymotion   Subscribe to our Digital Edition - https://tmt.ph/digital   Check out our Podcasts:  Spotify - https://tmt.ph/spotify  Apple Podcasts - https://tmt.ph/applepodcasts  Amazon Music - https://tmt.ph/amazonmusic  Deezer: https://tmt.ph/deezer  Tune In: https://tmt.ph/tunein  #TheManilaTimes #tmtnews  #lawmakers  #saraduterte  #impeachment

Transcript

00:00Once you're elected to an office, you are expected, not only by the constitution, by the people, to act in certain ways.

00:08You have to maintain and uphold the integrity of your office.

00:13And similarly, we expect our fellow public servants to do the same.

00:18In this impeachment case that was mentioned earlier by Boss Noy,

00:25that there are serious offenses, high crimes committed by the Vice President.

00:32So we cannot turn a blind eye and be more concerned about the possible backlash that it may cause us politically.

00:43Of course, that's a consideration. Who else wouldn't think of that?

00:48But this is already an issue of being a public servant.

00:53It's a secondary line to being a politician.

00:56It's a value judgment call, as he said.

01:00How will you face the people?

01:05You can say that it's prohibited to threaten people, much more so if you're a sitting president.

01:14How will you face yourself and say that there should be no corruption in the country?

01:20How will you face yourself and say that it's prohibited to bribe, like us, government officials?

01:28Because we just want to get the results we want.

01:33How will we face ourselves and our fellow citizens?

01:37How will you face yourself and your fellow citizens if a mandated agency gives and audits,

01:45and then the mandate is given by a constitutional agency,

01:50to take it and examine how the people spent it?

01:54How will we uphold that?

01:59How will we face that?

02:01I'm not speaking for the entire membership of the House.

02:04How will I face myself and my fellow citizens if I turn a blind eye

02:10and just simply concern myself with the possible popularity that I may get

02:18once I associate myself with who is popular and who has the tendency or the capacity to give me votes in the election?

02:27Isn't it good for a public service that for the three years being a congressman,

02:35you were elected to the office, you swore in the Constitution,

02:39in front of people and in front of God,

02:41that these ethics that should be followed by a public service,

02:52you will ignore them just because you are more concerned of the popularity that you may get or the votes that you may get?

03:01For me, how will I face myself and my fellow citizens if I turn a blind eye on these high crimes that were committed blatantly under the sun?

03:15So much blatantly that we cannot even ignore to a point that I can no longer turn a blind eye on these allegations

03:26and just simply brush it off simply because I am from Mindanao.

03:29I have a platform since its election and it's my duty to educate my voters,

03:35my citizens in my district to understand what the impeachment is about and what are the allegations all about.

03:42It's their duty to understand that there is a Constitution

03:46and there are limits to what elected officials can do and not do under the Constitution.

03:52So I will include that. Why is this happening?

03:55What should we do?

03:57And please understand that whenever you vote in every election,

04:01the officials who are sitting should serve according to our Constitution.

04:07They should remember that their position in the government is their debt to the people

04:11and it's not a cause for them to abuse their power when they are in government.

04:15There certainly will be consequences to every elected official.

04:22But if I did not sign this impeachment complaint and if I did not accept the election as prosecutor,

04:31coming from Iloilo, there will be far bigger and worse consequences

04:37if I turn my back on violations of the Constitution and I will not do my constitutional duty to prosecute it.

04:46That is a political question and we will see the results in the May 2025 elections.

04:52And that is the right, the sacred right of every Filipino people to decide who their representatives will be.

04:57But insofar as we are concerned with the constitutional duty to pursue this impeachment complaint,

05:02we will do our duty without fear or favor.

05:04Not to be decided by popularity, but to side with truth and justice.

05:15For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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