By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
SAN JUAN CITY – The fourth impeachment case for betrayal of public trust against Vice President Sara Duterte would allegedly garner 103 Members of the 19th Congress which would automatically elevate the same to the Senate of the Philippines.
During the first episode of The Agenda for this year hosted by Atty. Sigfred Mison held here at Club Filipino on Friday (Jan. 17), Atty. Kristina Conti, ICC Assistant to Counsel and who specializes in international law and local governance, said “hopefully within the year as of December 2024, the case against humanity filed against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte before the ICC did not prosper.”
Atty. Conti noted that there was a warrant of arrest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the Hamas-Palestinian conflict as well as Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the War against Ukraine, and they had hoped a warrant of arrest would also be issued against former President Duterte on the crimes against humanity because of the war on drugs.
Conti stressed that the ICC does not meddle with the politicians and would not look for the support of the public to prosecute the former President for the crimes against humanity.
She noted that the Members of the 19th Congress are still waiting for the filing of the fourth impeachment case against Vice President Duterte, which purportedly would garner about 103 signatures or endorsers, which would mean a “direct filing” with the Senate of the Philippines.
The same 103 Members or supporters from the 19th Congress would mean the endorsement of the second and third impeachment complaints against the Vice President, and it would seem that it would represent the “disgust” of the lawmakers on the Vice President.
“The ICC does not consider immunity whether or not a President or a Vice President,” Atty. Conti said, referring to the crimes against humanity before the ICC against former President Duterte.
The unity and the Unity Team had already broken up and there was a national rally for peace conducted by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) on January 13, 2025 in support of the call of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos, Jr. not to proceed with the impeachment cases against Vice President Sara Duterte which are now pending before the 19th Congress.
Likewise, Atty. Conti cited the case of Araullo vs. Aquino before the Supreme Court regarding the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund), which was earlier known as “Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) or “pork barrel” where Congressmen had the discretion to approve the release of appropriations or budget on certain projects or programs of the government.
“The number of people on the streets last January 13 was well-placed,” she noted.
Conti cited that there are also pending gatherings or rallies of people whether or not in support of President Marcos, Jr. on January 18 and 31.
“It is not the responsibility of the Members of Congress to distribute the proceeds of PDAF, but they have the duty to legislate and appropriate funds or budget of the national government which do not belong to them,” Atty. Conti said in reference to the ruling of the Supreme Court against PDAF per se.
Conti added that the House Quadcom would resume on January 20 its investigation-in-aid of legislation, noting that it enjoyed 61% support of the Filipinos in a certain survey.
She cited that the impeachment of the former South Korean President because of his short-lived declaration of Martial Law, which Vice President Duterte may now be taking into consideration.
Atty. Conti also said the “7,540 dead in police operations” on the war on drugs during the administration of then President Duterte were without investigation, aside from the alleged 30,000 who were also killed.
Rep. France Castro, ACT Teachers Partylist, said that the National Rally for Peace conducted by the INC was in support of President Marcos, Jr.’s call for unity and to get rid of the impeachment of Vice President Duterte.
Rep. Castro added that the rally all the more signified the strong support of the INC not to impeach Vice President Duterte, stressing that it does not respect the “sentiments of the majority of the Filipino people”.
She noted that 41% of the Filipinos are supporting the impeachment of Vice President Duterte and 19% are undecided on the matter.
Castro said that it has been more than a month already and the third impeachment case against Vice President Duterte is not moving right now.
She added that even if the May 12, 2025 national and local elections is over, the impeachment against Vice President Duterte would still proceed.
“The more ’silent majority’ are not yet showing their strong clamor for the impeachment of Vice President Duterte in the sense that the clamor for justice does not have to wait a little longer,” Rep. Castro said.
“The dilly-dallying and apparent inaction of President Marcos, Jr. on the clamor of the Filipino people for the impeachment of Vice President Duterte for ‘betrayal of public trust’ might lead to the anger of the public,” she added.
Castro noted that the issue on Confidential Fund would pin down Vice President Duterte as there are already testimonies and pieces of evidence on the matter.
Rep. Castro said that what she knew was that 12 Congressmen have already endorsed the first three impeachment cases against the Vice President.
Likewise, she said that Marikina City Rep. Stella Quimbo is qualified to seat as the Chairperson of the powerful House Committee on Appropriations, which was formerly held by Rep. Zaldy Co.
Castro also said that the Filipino people are more determined to conduct a protest rally on January 31 calling for the impeachment of Vice President Duterte.
She noted that the leadership of the January 31 peace rally was “political” as Sagip Partylist Rep. Rodante Marcoleta lambasted the Quadcom which conducted an investigation-in-aid of legislation on the alleged misuse of the Confidential and Intelligence Funds of the Vice President in millions of pesos.
Atty. Salvador Panelo, former Presidential Spokesperson, said that the impeachment against Vice President Duterte would push through but should be deferred for the time being.
Atty. Panelo added that if there are 103 endorsers of the fourth impeachment case against the Vice President, it would mean that the lawmakers should know the complainants.
At the same time, Panelo said that the National Rally for Peace held by the INC last January 13, made him literally walk on the streets because of the convergence of some 1.8 million supporting the call of President Marcos, Jr. not to support the impeachment of Vice President Duterte.
“Unless there is a change in the present dispensation. Imagine the 1.8 million is a huge number that cannot just be ignored,” Panelo said.
Panelo noted that the January 13 peace rally was more of “anti-Congress” and not in support of the call of President Marcos, Jr. not to proceed with the impeachment of the Vice President.
The former Presidential Spokesperson cited the words: “Magnanakaw kayo (You are thieves)” lashed out during the peace rally and the statements of former Senate President Franklin Drilon and former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio which were both very “telling”.
Panelo said that as of today, he does not know of anyone who has already filed a disbarment case on whatever grounds against former President Duterte.
“No court has ever convicted former President Duterte on the matter of alleged extra-judicial killings during his administration’s war on drugs,” Panelo said, adding that there was “no grounds” to disbar the former President.
Panelo stressed that the “expletives” uttered by the former President were “just his personal expression of disgust” on the matter at hand.
He expounded that the peace rally was in support of the President’s call not to proceed with the impeachment of Vice President Duterte anchored on the premise that “no one would benefit from such an impeachment”.
“The barometer here is when the people would take a drastic action, that would be troublesome,” Panelo said.
Panelo added that President Marcos, Jr. was right in saying that “the ICC has no jurisdiction over the war on drugs in the Philippines”, saying that the alleged 30,000 originated from Rappler and the 6,000 was on the official records in connection with the war on drugs during the Duterte administration (2016-2022).