MANILA – The impeachment complaint being prepared by critics of President Rodrigo Duterte regarding his statement allowing Chinese fishermen to trawl in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ) will not prosper, according to the Palace.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said any Filipino citizen can initiate impeachment proceedings against the President as guaranteed by the Constitution but filing one is “not only misplaced, it is absolutely baseless in fact and in law.”
“The Office of the President cannot and will not dissuade those individuals and groups, including left-leaning ones, to initiate such an action before the Congress, as the same is recognized by our Constitution,” Panelo said.
“The Palace is therefore confident that no impeachment complaint against PRRD (President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) would prosper. As a friendly advice, we suggest that these people first conduct a reality check to avoid embarrassment,” he added.
According to critics, Duterte is liable for impeachment over his pronouncement that Chinese fishermen can venture into Manila’s waters and if he fails to defend the Philippine national territory, which includes the exclusive economic zone, as mandated by the Constitution.
“The President is fealty to his sworn oath under the Constitution of serving and protecting the Filipino people,” Panelo said. “He has not committed any impeachable offense and that plans to unseat the chief executive won’t prosper.”
“There can be no culpable violation of the Constitution, or any impeachable offense for that matter, when the President is precisely enforcing that very same instrument while honoring our country’s constitutional obligation of observing amity with our neighboring states in conformity with our treaties and international conventions, as well as customary international law,” added Panelo./PN
