Bacolod Mayor on Duterte Impeachment: ‘Follow Due Process’

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez expressed uncertainty over the House of Representatives’ impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.

“I don’t know what’s happening,” Benitez said when asked for his reaction.

He noted that while the Senate has the mandate to hear the complaint, it adjourned its session on Wednesday without discussing the matter.

Benitez did not elaborate further but emphasized that the issue should be allowed to go through the proper legal process.

“Let the process go through,” he said during a media interview at a business summit at L’Fisher Hotel on Friday.

Bacolod Lone District Rep. Greg Gasataya, one of the 215 lawmakers who signed the impeachment complaint, declined to comment.

Eight other lawmakers from Negros Island have also supported the move.

In Negros Occidental, signatories include Reps. Gerardo Valmayor (1st District), Alfredo Marañon III (2nd District), Stephen Paduano (3rd District caretaker, Abang Lingkod Party-list), Juliet Ferrer (4th District), and Mercedes Alvarez (6th District).

Fifth District Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo was not initially listed as a signatory, but Paduano later confirmed that Yulo signed the complaint after the House adjourned on Wednesday.

From Negros Oriental, 1st District Rep. Jocelyn Sy Limkaichong and 2nd District Rep. Manuel “Chiquiting” Sagarbarria also backed the impeachment move.

All these lawmakers have yet to issue public statements.

The Articles of Impeachment against Duterte cited six grounds, including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft, and other high crimes.

Of the 306 House members, 215 supported the complaint, surpassing the one-third (102 votes) needed to transmit the complaint to the Senate for trial.

The Senate received the Articles of Impeachment on Wednesday afternoon but did not discuss them in plenary before adjourning later that evening.