Former Anakalusugan Party-list Rep. Mike Defensor said he and his group may pursue alternative legal options after the third impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was not accepted while House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil was abroad.
In a Thursday report by RH 12 Milky Rigonan, the former lawmaker said he and his group would look into elevating the matter to the Supreme Court after the Office of the House Secretary General refused to accept his group’s impeachment complaint, with Garafil currently in Taiwan.
Defensor said he and his group would meet to discuss this option. However, he believes there is no point in returning next week, since, by that time, the first impeachment complaint—filed by Atty. Andre de Jesus—would have already been included in the Congress’ order of business.
“Basta ang posisyon ko, we will use other options, legal options. We have other legal options. If you go to the Supreme Court, that’s one legal option. Pero para pumunta pa ako dito, and diba, makisali pa ako doon sa moro-moro, ba’t ko pa gagawin ‘yun? ‘Di na nga makalakad si Ferdie Topacio tsaka si Gov. Chavit, pababalikin pa,” he told reporters.
He is of the opinion that this first complaint is a weak one—which is why the House insists on disregarding the complaints that have followed.
Defensor and his group’s proposed grounds for impeachment encompasses culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery and other high crimes.
The group consists of former Negros Oriental 1st District Rep. Jacinto “Jing” Paras, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, former Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson, former National Intelligence Coordinating Agency of the Philippines (NICA) Chief Hermogenes Esperon, and other known Duterte allies.
Meanwhile, the second impeachment complaint the Makabayan bloc plans to endorse has already been filed, although it has not yet been officially transmitted.
For this second complaint, its grounds for impeachment is betrayal of public trust.
