Vice Pres. Sara Duterte Calls on Public Not To Vote for Tingog Party-List
SARA DUTERTE – The Vice President spoke on staying mum over the confidential funds issue especially to the members of the House of Representatives.
Vice Pres. Duterte is now back in the Philippines after a three-week stay at The Hague, Netherlands. Last March 12, she immediately flew to The Hague to follow former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte who was arrested and whose custody was transferred to the International Criminal Court.
Upon her arrival from the Netherlands, among the first things done by the Vice President was meet her legal team for her impeachment trial. She was impeached last February 5 by the House of Representatives. According to Vice Pres. Sara Duterte, her lawyers are confident that they will win the impeachment trial. As for her, she is most confident with her lawyers.
Previously, it was reportedly that former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte was one of the lawyers of the Vice President. However, the elder Duterte is now detained in the Hague Penitentiary Institution awaiting the confirmation of charges set on September 23.
The Senate has yet to issue an update on the impeachment trial of the Vice President. Previously, Senate Pres. Chiz Escudero proposed July 30 as the tentative start of the trial. The Senate Chief repeatedly denied the calls to start the impeachment trial immediately.
Two-thirds of the lawmakers in the House of Representatives approved the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. Presidential son and Ilocos Norte Representative Sandro Marcos is one of those who signed the impeachment rap versus Duterte.
Recently, Vice Pres. Sara Duterte explained her decision to stay mum on the Confidential Funds. Based on a report on PhilStar, the Vice President stressed that it is really her decision not to explain.
“It’s not that I can’t explain. What I do is I refuse to explain, especially to members of the House of Representatives. Because, I’ll give you an example, the owner of Tingog party-list is Martin Romualdez,” the Vice President said.
Based on the report, Vice Pres. Duterte called on the public not to vote the Tingog Party-List. According to him, it will allegedly give House Speaker Martin Romualdez “three seats” in the House of Representatives. The Vice President cited his district in Tacloban; the seat of Speaker Martin’s wife, Tingog party-List Representative Yedda Romualdez; and that of Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.
Previously, a House Prosecutor affirmed that Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s “personal appearance” in the impeachment trial “would say a lot”.