Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 4) — The Office of House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez confirmed on Wednesday receipt of an impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo.
The Speaker’s office added however, that an endorsement of the impeachment complaint by a member of Congress has yet to be made.
The impeachment complaint was drafted by a group of lawyers supporting President Rodrigo Duterte.
Under the 1987 Constitution, non-members of the House of Representatives may file an impeachment complaint if it is endorsed by a congressperson.
Read more: Impeachment rap vs. Robredo pending endorsement
In a phone interview, lawyer Bruce Rivera of the Impeach Leni Movement said they did not reveal they sent Alvarez’s office a copy on Tuesday, on orders from the Speaker, since he is still “trying to make things happen”.
Rivera said that they sent Alvarez a copy of the impeachment complaint after an incident with Pwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA) Party List Representative Jericho Nograles.
Read more: Lawyers to pursue impeach rap vs. Robredo despite Duterte’s opposition
Misunderstanding with congressman
Nograles claimed two lawyers, which Rivera confirmed to be him and lawyer Rose-Beatrix Angeles, went to his office and submitted the complaint against the Vice President with Nograles named as the endorser.
Rivera claimed that there was a misunderstanding with Nograles.
“There was some sort of misunderstanding…we did not know him personally,” Rivera said.
Nograles denied knowing Rivera and Angeles, and said he never gave them permission to use his name in the complaint.
He added that did not receive any order from the House Speaker or from the supermajority to endorse the impeachment complaint.
“Ako po ay nagulat lang talaga kaya nga ang reaction ko ay ganoon dahil wala namang usapan. Walang utos ng leadership. Walang leadership call or supermajority call for this,” Nograles said. “Dahil walang ganoon, hindi ko nakikita ang dahilan kung bakit pangalan ko at pangalan ko lang ang nakalagay.”
[Translation: I was just surprised, that’s why I had that reaction because there was no prior discussion, no leadership or supermarjority call for this. Because there was no call, I didn’t see any reason why my name is listed as the primary endorser.]
Nograles accepted the public apology Rivera made on his his social media account.
“Ako bilang kongresista, tinatanggap ko iyan kasi ang importante na si Attorney Bruce at Attorney Trixie, pwede mag-exercise ng right nila to file an impeachment complaint,” Nograles said. “Karapatan nila mag-file ng impeachment complaint pero wala sa karapatan nila ang maglagay ng pangalan ko na wala sa pahintulot ko.”
[Translation: As a congressman, I accept Atty. Bruce and Atty. Trixie’s complaint because they can exercise their right to file an impeachment complaint. They just have no right to put my name in the complaint without my permission.]
