Party-list solon files impeachment complaint vs Pres. Duterte

Alejano said Duterte employed more than 11,000 ghost employees when he was still Davao City mayor. (Photo: RICHARD MADELO/Presidential Photo)

MANILA–Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano on Thursday filed an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte before the Office of Secretary General at the House of Representatives.

This is the first impeachment case filed against Duterte eight months after his assumption to office as President.

The five grounds for impeachment are violation of constitution, bribery, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

In a press conference, Alejano said his impeachment complaint is mainly based on his state policy of killing drug offenders which resulted in over 8,000 deaths, as well as the reported 1,400 suspicious killings by the Davao Death Squad while Duterte was still mayor

“Unang-una ang pinakamahalaga dito e yung state policy of killing of drug offenders. Yung pagpapatay ng kapwa Pilipino na hindi lang man dumaan sa democratic processes na meron tayo ngayon,” Alejano said.

Alejano further said the President should be impeached for graft and corruption for his alleged PHP2.

2 billion undeclared wealth and other properties not indicated in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

Alejano said Duterte employed more than 11,000 ghost employees when he was still Davao City mayor.

“Sa graft and corruption, napapaloob dito ang kanyang bank accounts.

Marami po ito. Ang kabuuan ho nito sa transactions na aming nakita ay around PHP2.2 billion at hindi man lang ito na-declare sa SALN kasama ang properties na hindi na nailagay,” Alejano said.

Alejano said he will still file a supplementary complaint regarding the President’s alleged secret arrangement with China over the ownership of Benham Rise, noting that it was a culpable violation of the Constitution.

When asked about the filed impeachment complaint against the President, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said, “we are entitled to our own stupidity”.