‘PRO-CHINA STAND’
IMPEACHED Vice President Sara Duterte was reminded of the pro-China stand on West Philippine Sea (WPS) issues of her father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who has been arrested on the strength of a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
House leaders made the reminder in reaction to the Vice President’s claim that her father’s arrest was an affront to Philippine sovereignty.
“Siguro, ‘yung statement magandang i-copy paste tapos ang ilagay nila na issue tungkol dun sa WPS. Perfect po ‘yung sagot na ‘yan pag na-copy paste po tungkol sa WPS,” Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V said.
Regarding the Vice President’s warning about supposed cheating in the coming May 12 elections, Assistant Majority Leader and Tingog party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre said it’s not worth dignifying.
“It comes from an elected official who said she’ll kill the President, the First Lady and the Speaker of the House. I don’t know if you can even dignify the statement with anything,” Acidre said.
Ortega called it fake news and a diversionary tactics to mislead the Filipinos on truth of the matter.
“Ano ‘yon, diversion ulit. Alam mo naman ‘yung mga tactics nila. Pero hindi ko rin maisip-isip kung paano mang dadaya sa eleksyon, paano gagawin?…So, wala ‘yun. Fake news,” Ortega said.
The Vice President left the country to be with his father in The Hague.
For his part, House Assistant Majority Leader and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon said the issue of her presence in the proceedings would up to the Senate impeachment court .
But first, the Senate has to decide when to convene as a court, Bongalon said.
“First and foremost, the Senate should act whether or not to convene themselves as an impeachment trial court. Again, we’re not saying ito ay dapat gawin na, but it’s the Constitution, the constitutional provision that the trial by the Senate shall start forthwith. With respect to that, wala na kaming magagawa dun. Nasa kamay na o ‘yung bola nasa Senado na. So, let’s wait and see kung kailan nila po aaktuhan ‘yan,” he said.
Bongalon pointed out that the implication of the Vice President’s absence would be known when the trial actually starts.
“For now, of course as a daughter, as the Vice President, pumunta siya para mag-assist sa kanya pong tatay na si Pangulong Duterte. So hindi pa namin makita kung ano ang magiging implication nito,” he added.
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