MANILA – Ifugao Representative Teodoro “Teddy” Baguilat expects his colleagues from the Liberal Party (LP) at the House of Representatives to defend their party chairperson, Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo, against moves to impeach both her and President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Inaasahan ko na ang mga kasamahan namin na ang kanilang priority ang pagtanggol doon sa ating bise presidente, pagtutol doon sa impeachment complaint (I’m expecting my colleagues to make their priority the defense of the vice president and opposing the impeachment complaint),” he said in an interview with radio dzRH on Monday.
Baguilat pointed out that, in the case of Duterte’s impeachment complaint, LP would not be the only political party to oppose it.
He expects there would be time before the resumption of the legislative session this May for all LP members, including those in the minority, to discuss the matter comprehensively.
Last week, 15 LP congressmen decided to keep a hands-off stance to the impeachment raps.
Among them was Deputy Speaker Quimbo, Representing the 2nd district of Marikina City, the highest-ranking LP official in the chamber, who called the complaints “a distraction to the important work that needs to be done.”
LP President and Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan confirmed that the impeachment issue was discussed during a party meeting but not as part of the party agenda.
The senator said there is as yet no party stand on any impeachment move against any public official.
Baguilat also mentioned that they have been planning for a long time to discuss the LP position at the House Representatives, especially after some party mates at the Senate, as well as Robredo herself, had aligned themselves as the opposition under the Duterte administration.
“It will be rigorous because we need an intensive discussion. That is what our party members are doing now.”
Pangilinan earlier said LP members in the House super majority postponed their decision to stay or leave until the voting on the death penalty bill.
At the moment, 27 of the 32 LP members at the lower chamber are allied with the so-called super majority coalition.
Meanwhile, the remaining LP members, Baguilat, Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, Capiz Rep. Emmanuel Billones, Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza and Albay Rep Edcel Lagman, belong to an independent minority bloc known as the “Magnificent 7.”
Also included in the bloc are Akbayan party-list rep. Tomasito Villarin and Rep. Alejano.
At the Senate, several LP senators were booted out of the majority and stripped of their chairmanships on Feb. 27, since they had been taking positions unfavorable to some policies of the Duterte administration.
Meanwhile, Robredo aligned herself with the opposition last December 2016, after she was no longer allowed to attend Cabinet meetings, and which led to her resignation as the housing czarina.
Several lawmakers, like Sen. Richard Gordon and Rep. Lagman, had been calling for the LP to rethink their alliance with President Duterte’s ruling party, the PDP-Laban, since Robredo’s resignation from the Duterte Cabinet.
