Duterte denies hand in planned impeachment, online attacks vs. Leni
President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday denied involvement in the impeachment complaint being planned against Vice President Leni Robredo.
"I never did anything and I will never do anything about it," Duterte said in a press conference before leaving for his official visit to Myanmar.
"Magtanong na kayo sa pagtatanungan ninyo. I never lifted a finger against anybody. Tapos na ako diyan. I'm beyond politics... I do not want to tinker with this. I just want to focus on my job, which you have given me," he added.
The President's remarks came after his ally, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, said he may file an impeachment complaint against Robredo.
Alvarez said betrayal of public trust is a possible ground for the complaint, pointing at Robredo's recorded speech for a side session at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs annual meeting.
In the video, requested by the Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet), the Vice President shared alleged irregularities of the administration's war against drugs, based on stories relayed to her office by representatives of affected poor communities in Metro Manila.
Solicitor General Jose Calida called Robredo's speech a "treasonous act," and said his office will "gladly lend its services" for her impeachment.
Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III, Duterte's supporter, also announced that a group of volunteer lawyers are working on an impeachment complaint against the vice president.
Malacañang had said that Alvarez' possible move is "within his purview.
"
Senate President Koko Pimentel, meanwhile, said the planned impeachment against Robredo has a big chance of reaching the Senate for trial, compared to the one filed against Duterte last week.
Online attacks
Asked about Robredo's vocal opposition against his administration's drug war, the President also denied involvement in an online article by anonymous bloggers which questioned the political ascent of the Vice President's husband, the late Interior secretary Jesse Robredo.
Robredo had said she is considering legal action against her detractors responsible for the blog article, adding that attacks against her and her family seem to be part of a "concerted" effort to discredit her.
Resign
During the briefing, Duterte again insisted that he has "never made a single call" to influence political matters such as this, and said he will resign if anyone can prove otherwise.
"Alam mo, si Leni, with all the... akala kasi niya, ako 'yung sa NagaLeak (sic). Ayaw niya maniwala, 'di 'wag. Basta kayo naniwala," he said.
Duterte said he will "not be surprised" if Robredo is part of the impeachment complaint filed against him last Thursday.
The said pronouncement came just after he cleared her of involvement in the alleged destabilization plot against him.
The two were seen together at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduation in Baguio City, their first public appearance since Robredo resigned from Duterte's Cabinet. —ALG, GMA News
Source:GMA News
"I never did anything and I will never do anything about it," Duterte said in a press conference before leaving for his official visit to Myanmar.
"Magtanong na kayo sa pagtatanungan ninyo. I never lifted a finger against anybody. Tapos na ako diyan. I'm beyond politics... I do not want to tinker with this. I just want to focus on my job, which you have given me," he added.
The President's remarks came after his ally, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, said he may file an impeachment complaint against Robredo.
Alvarez said betrayal of public trust is a possible ground for the complaint, pointing at Robredo's recorded speech for a side session at the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs annual meeting.
In the video, requested by the Drug Reform Coordination Network (DRCNet), the Vice President shared alleged irregularities of the administration's war against drugs, based on stories relayed to her office by representatives of affected poor communities in Metro Manila.
Solicitor General Jose Calida called Robredo's speech a "treasonous act," and said his office will "gladly lend its services" for her impeachment.
Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III, Duterte's supporter, also announced that a group of volunteer lawyers are working on an impeachment complaint against the vice president.
Malacañang had said that Alvarez' possible move is "within his purview.
"
Senate President Koko Pimentel, meanwhile, said the planned impeachment against Robredo has a big chance of reaching the Senate for trial, compared to the one filed against Duterte last week.
Online attacks
Asked about Robredo's vocal opposition against his administration's drug war, the President also denied involvement in an online article by anonymous bloggers which questioned the political ascent of the Vice President's husband, the late Interior secretary Jesse Robredo.
Robredo had said she is considering legal action against her detractors responsible for the blog article, adding that attacks against her and her family seem to be part of a "concerted" effort to discredit her.
Resign
During the briefing, Duterte again insisted that he has "never made a single call" to influence political matters such as this, and said he will resign if anyone can prove otherwise.
"Alam mo, si Leni, with all the... akala kasi niya, ako 'yung sa NagaLeak (sic). Ayaw niya maniwala, 'di 'wag. Basta kayo naniwala," he said.
Duterte said he will "not be surprised" if Robredo is part of the impeachment complaint filed against him last Thursday.
The said pronouncement came just after he cleared her of involvement in the alleged destabilization plot against him.
The two were seen together at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduation in Baguio City, their first public appearance since Robredo resigned from Duterte's Cabinet. —ALG, GMA News
Source:GMA News
