Robredo to minority: Don’t let supermajority discourage impeachment

Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo is making everybody know that she is still relevant- relevant in the sense that she is part and still the last remaining hope of the opposition.

Amidst the issue of the Chinese interest in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) which was further highlighted by the Recto Bank incident and the eventual statement of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that even if China fishes in the country’s exclusive economic zone we cannot help it.

Calls by the opposition left for Duterte’s impeachment has been raise as an option to oust the president.

Vice President Leni Robredo (photo credit to owner)

But the President who enjoys the supermajority in Congress does not care about it, for he knows at the end of the day it’s a numbers game, and the President has the numbers to back him up.

Duterte even made the statement that he will get arrested anyone who will file an impeachment complaint against him.

“I-impeach ako? Kulungin ko silang lahat. Subukan niyo. Try to take it, do it, and I will do it,” Duterte told reporters in Malacañang last June 27.

Robredo has rallied the remaining remnants of the minority, which are composed of the leftist Makabayan bloc, a few liberal party mates, and those who are so called independents.

In her weekly radio show in DZXL “BISErbisyong Leni,”Robredo reiterates that the existence of the supermajority backing up the Duterte should not deter the minority from proceeding with the filing of an impeachment complaint.

So labag sa ating batas iyong mag-file ng impeachment case?” her co-host Saludar asked Robredo during their  program.

 “Iyong impeachment case kasi, Ka Ely, political act iyan,” Robredo said. “May grounds para ma-impeach ang mga impeachable officials. Pero ang reyalidad noon, political act siya at tingin ko kaya malakas ang loob kasi may supermajority sa Congress. So baka iniisip na — iniisip na kahit anong gawin, puwede dahil kakampihan ng mga kakampi. Ito ang nakakalungkot.”

But that reality, Robredo added, should not be an excuse for people, even public officials in the minority, to refrain from fighting for what is right.

“Ito ang nakakalungkot kasi kahit sana political act, iyong panakot dapat sa mga impeachable officials na kapag nag-violate, ang essence ng pinaka-violation at saka iyong essence ng Saligang Batas ang magpe-prevail,” Robredo said. “Pero alam natin sa experience hindi iyon ganoon. Sa experience na lang… parang mas nagpe-prevail ang pulitika kaysa sa iba pang mga consideration.”

“Pero tingin ko hindi naman iyon dahilan para… Kahit minority kayo, ipaglaban ang tama pa din. Kahit napaka-kaunti ng numero, ang pinakamahalaga doon, hindi ka napapagod ipaglaban ang tama,” Robredo added.

Robredo made then a call on the public to keep putting pressure on public officials.

“Nasa kamay din ng taumbayan na. Iyong mga senador kasi at mga kongresista representatives lang natin sila. Dapat tayo ang naglalagay ng pressure sa kanila na… para maging tunay na kinatawan ng ating mga paniniwala,” Robredo said.

“Ang sa akin naman, iyon ang dapat pinapaalalahanan na ang kapangyarihan nasa kamay ng ordinaryong mamamayan. Na kung ang kaniyang kinatawan ay hindi na ginagawa ang obligasyon na dapat niyang gawin, nasa kamay pa rin ng ordinaryong mamamayan na may gawin siya. Pero kung pinabayaan lang natin at hinahayaan natin na parang lapastanganin ang kapangyarihan na binigay sa kanila, tayo din ang magsasakripisyo talaga sa huli,” she added.

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Report from PDI