Pres. Duterte now enjoys one-year impeachment immunity
The House justice committee has disclosed that President Rodrigo Duterte can no longer be ousted for one year through the constitutional process of impeachment.
Philippine Star reported that the President now enjoys one-year impeachment protection as provided for under the Constitution.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, who chairs the House of Representatives committee on justice, told reporters on Monday that the protection took effect May 9, when the House referred the impeachment complaint to the justice committee.
“The one-year immunity starts when an impeachment process is initiated. And under a Supreme Court ruling, initiation means referral of a complaint to the committee on justice,” Umali said.
No other complaint can now be filed against Duterte for a period of one year, or until May 8 next year, he said.
On May 15, the Umali committee threw out the Alejano complaint for lacking in substance while the President was in China. The committee approved its report yesterday.
This means that while Duterte was abroad, his allies were busy burying the first impeachment case against him.
Emerging from a closed-door session after Monday’s public deliberations, 42 members of the committee effectively dismissed the complaint, filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano who accuses Duterte of violating the Constitution.
The complaint, the first against Duterte who was inaugurated president last year, was filed in March by Alejano who accused the president of having a hand in the killings linked to the war on drugs and treason in conferral with China on matters of the maritime domain.
Duterte has denied the accusations.
Umali said Alejano failed to present “convincing evidence” to support his allegations.
“This was haphazardly done. Now, he has one year to prepare, if he plans to file another impeachment complaint next year,” he said.
Alejano lamented that the Umali committee did not even give him the opportunity to sufficiently explain his complaint.
Philippine Star reported that the President now enjoys one-year impeachment protection as provided for under the Constitution.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, who chairs the House of Representatives committee on justice, told reporters on Monday that the protection took effect May 9, when the House referred the impeachment complaint to the justice committee.
“The one-year immunity starts when an impeachment process is initiated. And under a Supreme Court ruling, initiation means referral of a complaint to the committee on justice,” Umali said.
No other complaint can now be filed against Duterte for a period of one year, or until May 8 next year, he said.
On May 15, the Umali committee threw out the Alejano complaint for lacking in substance while the President was in China. The committee approved its report yesterday.
This means that while Duterte was abroad, his allies were busy burying the first impeachment case against him.
Emerging from a closed-door session after Monday’s public deliberations, 42 members of the committee effectively dismissed the complaint, filed by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano who accuses Duterte of violating the Constitution.
The complaint, the first against Duterte who was inaugurated president last year, was filed in March by Alejano who accused the president of having a hand in the killings linked to the war on drugs and treason in conferral with China on matters of the maritime domain.
Duterte has denied the accusations.
Umali said Alejano failed to present “convincing evidence” to support his allegations.
“This was haphazardly done. Now, he has one year to prepare, if he plans to file another impeachment complaint next year,” he said.
Alejano lamented that the Umali committee did not even give him the opportunity to sufficiently explain his complaint.
Source: Kickerdaily.com
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