Panelo says supplemental impeachment against Duterte nonsense

March 30, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte's chief presidential legal counsel branded on Thursday as "nonsense" the supplemental impeachment complaint against the chief executive by a lawmaker.

Secretary Salvador Panelo even considered the supplemental impeachment complaint filed by Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano as a second complaint, which is not allowed under the law.

“It’s nonsense geared for propaganda and publicity for himself,” he said.

“It may even be deemed to be a second impeachment complaint which is a prohibited complaint under the one-year prohibition limiting the filing to only one complaint in a year,” Panelo added.

Alejano, who first filed the impeachment complaint some two weeks ago, filed a supplemental complaint on Thursday in connection with Duterte's alleged failure to assert the country’s sovereign rights over the Benham Rise and South China Sea.

“Respondent Rodrigo Roa Duterte betrayed the public trust reposed upon him, culpably violated the Constitution, and committed the high crime of dereliction of his sworn duty as President when he utterly failed and/or refused to assert the country’s exclusive sovereign rights and maritime rights and territorial claims over Benham Rise and Panatag Shoal and the rest of the West Philippine Sea,” Alejano said.

“Apparently, because he is afraid to offend his Chinese friends,” he said in filing the supplemental impeachment complaint. Celerina Monte/DMS