Duterte’s Former Spox Harry Roque Reacts To House Proceedings over Impeachment Raps vs. VP Sara Duterte
HARRY ROQUE – The former presidential Spokesman reacted to the House Justice panel continuing the proceedings of the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte despite the Congressional recess.
The House Justice Committee found the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte sufficient in grounds. Two out of four impeachment raps against Duterte were previously found sufficient in form and substance.
The impeachment raps that were found sufficient in grounds were the ones filed third and fourth. The following grounds were raised in the third impeachment case filed by a lawyer against the Vice President with members of the religious sector as among the complainants:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
Tindig Pilipinas also support the third impeachment complaint against Duterte. The group withdrew the impeachment rap they filed to avoid procedural delays as they support the third complaint.
Reportedly, the House Justice panel will continue the proceedings of the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte despite that the Congress will be on recess. The Congressional recess will start from March 21 until May 3.
The House Justice panel will continue with the process of the impeachment raps against Duterte because of the House Resolution No. 892 that grants it an authorization to do so. The said measure was filed by House Speaker Bojie Dy, Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Congressman Sandro Marcos, and Minority Leader Nonoy Libanan.
Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro who is also the chairwoman of the House Committee on Justice also said that the proceedings must still go on as “penalty of perpetual disqualification must be resolved as well” even if the Vice President will resign from her position.
Recently, Harry Roque, the spokesman of former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, reacted to the House Justice panel continuing the proceedings of the impeachment complaints against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte despite the Congressional recess.
Through a post on social media, Harry Roque called the House members “crocodiles” as he claimed that they are allegedly on a double time in the supposed pursuit to remove Vice Pres. Sara Duterte from her position.
“Double time mga buwaya para matanggal si Inday Sara Duterte,” Roque wrote.
Harry Roque is out of the Philippines for more than a year now. He went into hiding after the House of Representatives ordered his arrest for contempt over the investigation of his alleged ties with the illegal POGOs in the country.
There is a pending arrest warrant against Duterte’s Spokesman who is also currently in The Hague, Netherlands — also where former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is detained under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC). Recently, amid the rift between the President and the Vice President, Harry Roque claimed that Pres. Bongbong Marcos allegedly wants to reconcile with Vice Pres. Sara Duterte.