Move draws cheers, jeers

CRITICS of Vice President Sara Duterte celebrated her impeachment at the House of Representatives, but her allies denounced the move and said it would galvanize support for her.

The Akbayan party-list on Wednesday said the vote at the House to send the impeachment complaint on to the Senate for trial was the "beginning of the Duterte dynasty's expiration from power, impunity and plunder."

In a statement, Akbayan Rep. Percival Cendaña, who endorsed the first impeachment complaint against Duterte, said this is a "decisive victory for the Filipino people and a clear warning to those who abuse power."

"You are impeached, VP Sara Duterte! Everything rotten has a limit and an expiration date. Consider this your due date," he said in a video message.

"Sara Duterte's expiration date from power is near. This impeachment is the people's verdict against the Dutertes' long-standing corruption and lack of accountability. The message is clear: the era of impunity is ending, and those who plunder and oppress will be held to account," the lawmaker added.

He also called on the Senate to act on the measure, as their fight is still "far from over."

On the other hand, former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo on Wednesday said the "expected" move of the House to impeach Duterte would only rally more support for the vice president.

Panelo denounced efforts to impeach Duterte, calling them "willful and brazen violations of the guarantees enshrined in the Constitution."

"As expected, the anti-forces have commenced the impeachment process against VP Sara. Having the numbers, railroading the process is a foregone conclusion," Panelo said in a statement.

Panelo reiterated that the impeachment only aimed to "destroy and besmirch" the reputation of the vice president "with the ultimate goal of disqualifying her from the 2028 presidential elections, being the leading contender."

"These lawmakers obviously have not heeded the overwhelming voice of the people opposing the impeachment of the vice president, nor have they respected the wish of PBBM (President Marcos) to forego such a divisive and non-productive political endeavor that does not benefit a single Filipino," Panelo said.

"Their move will only galvanize the support of the Filipino people on VP Sara and will fan the flames of disgust and rage against their willful and brazen violation of the guarantees enshrined in the Constitution," he added.

The House of Representatives — dominated by Marcos allies — impeached Duterte during a plenary session on Wednesday, the final session day before the mid-term elections.

Former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez defended Duterte, calling the impeachment a "diversion" organized by corrupt lawmakers.

"I stand in solidarity with Sara Duterte and the 32 million Filipinos who lawfully, democratically and constitutionally elected her to be our vice president," he said in a statement on Facebook.

"Not only are the country's coffers recklessly plundered by corrupt lawmakers, but also our sacred mandate, which was wholeheartedly given to Inday Sara, is being blatantly stolen from us, Filipinos," Rodriguez continued in Filipino.

Meanwhile, former senator Leila de Lima on Wednesday said the members of Congress took the "right and necessary step" in impeaching Duterte.

In a statement, de Lima said the members of the House of Representatives demonstrated that "law and accountability for those in power cannot be ignored."

"This impeachment is not a personal fight — it is not just about VP Sara — and it should not be seen as merely politics. It's a fight of the Filipino people against the abuse, corruption, and disregard for our institutions, as well as the disrespect and neglect of the processes set forth in our Constitution," she said in Filipino.

"The accusations against VP Duterte are clear: the rapid misappropriation of millions in confidential funds without proper explanation, the use of her position for personal interests, and the blatant attempt to undermine processes that ensure accountability in government. These are clear violations of the Constitution and a direct betrayal of the trust given by the people," the former senator said.

The former senator, who is the first nominee of the Mamamayang Liberal party-list, served as the legal counsel of the first group of impeachment complainants against Duterte.

Cendaña said the Senate now needed to step up and convict Duterte.

"The Senate must now rise to the occasion and match the courage demonstrated by the citizens and the House. The Filipino people are watching, and history will judge whether our senators will uphold their constitutional duty or allow political expediency to stand in the way of justice," Cendaña said.

The party-list's first nominee for the upcoming elections, Chel Diokno, said the impeachment was the "triumph of the spirit" of the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution.

"As we mark 39 years since the EDSA People Power Revolution, the House's impeachment of Sara Duterte is a testament to the power of active citizenship. The recent waves of anti-Sara protests found their epicenter at EDSA — the very ground where Filipinos once dismantled a dictatorship and where they now stand resolute against the Dutertes," he said.

"They tried to destroy the image of EDSA and steal its spirit, but in the end, they shot themselves in the foot. EDSA is for truth, justice, and accountability — not for those who are greedy for power, thieves, and murderers," Diokno added.

"The Senate must not falter. This is a moment of truth — will they stand with the people or enable the rot of unaccountability? The country deserves a Senate that will not cower in the face of power," he added.

The only reaction from the Palace came from Presidential Adviser on Poverty Alleviation Larry Gadon, who hailed the members of the House for impeaching Duterte.

Gadon said that he was expecting the members of the Senate headed by its president, Sen. Francis Escudero, to do their job.

He said the senators, who would sit as judges, should be firm by doing their job without hesitation "since it was very clear that the vice president has committed questionable actions that warranted her impeachment."

"Don't worry that you would be losing your votes from Davao (Duterte's hometown) for believing in the truth and, trust me, you would have more votes to get from most places in the country in return," he said.

"It's just simple mathematics, believe me," he added.