MANILA—A group of volunteer lawyers and professors are mulling to file a second impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo.
In a press conference in Quezon City on Thursday, lawyer Bruce Rivera said his group is already laying the groundwork in drafting the impeachment case against the Vice President which could take two to three weeks of case-building.
The group is composed of Rivera, Atty. Tom Berenguer, Atty. Trixie Angeles, Prof. Antonio Contreras, and Interior Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III.
“Leni Robredo has gone too far. We demand accountability. She needs to answer to us now. It is clear that in her determination to further her political stature she is willing to bring the Filipino nation to perdition even at the cost of Filipino integrity and self-determination,” Rivera said.
“We have decided to file for her impeachment. She can no longer be allowed to continue in this manner. Not anymore. Not at our expense,” he added.
Without giving specifics, Rivera said the general grounds for impeachment against Robredo are betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes.
The group is expecting to file the impeachment case at the House of Representatives before sessions resume in May.
Although President Rodrigo Duterte has already stated that he will not allow any impeach move against the Vice President, Rivera and his group would still push through with their complaint, stressing that they are not the “President’s minions”.
Angeles also categorically denied they are “agents of the President”.
“We understand the President’s predicament — he wants the best for the Filipinos. (But) We’re not doing this for the President, but for the Filipino people,” Rivera said.
Rivera further denied that this impeachment case against Robredo is in retaliation to the impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano against Duterte.
“Hindi naman kami mga mercenaries o mga gang na bumebwelta or rumeresbak… We are not defending President Duterte in the impeachment case,” Rivera said.
“At the end of the day, we have reason in filing (an) impeachment complaint against Robredo,” he added.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier said he is studying the possibility of filing an impeachment complaint against Robredo, whom he accused of having a hand in the first impeach move against Duterte.