VP’s silence fuels impeachment case, lawmaker says – BusinessWorld Online
Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio’s silence on allegations of misusing secret funds would bolster the impeachment case against her, a congressman said on Monday.
“It seems she chose to remain silent because she knows explaining herself would be difficult,” Zambales Rep. Jefferson F. Khonghun said in a statement in Filipino. “The problem is, the longer she stays quiet, the deeper she gets entangled in the issue.”
The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.
The House of Representatives impeached Ms. Duterte in February, alleging secret fund misuse, unexplained wealth, acts of destabilization and plotting the assassination of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. and his family. The Vice-President has denied any wrongdoing.
More than 200 congressmen signed the impeachment complaint, which is more than one-third of the legal requirement before it could be sent to the Senate.
The Senate will convene as an impeachment court on July 30, once newly elected senators take their oath as impeachment judges, according to the chamber’s impeachment schedule. Senators will approve the trial rules on June 2, when Congress returns from a four-month break. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
