Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of The Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024, after skipping on the same day a National Bureau of Investigation probe on her remarks of having  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated should she be killed. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

MANILA — An opposition congressman urged the House of Representatives on Monday to act on the impeachment complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, stressing that there will be no “peace” without “accountability”.

Kabataan Party List Representative Raoul Manuel in his privilege speech said it has been over three weeks since the third impeachment complaint was filed before the Office of the House Secretary General, and that the “prompt” processing of the three complaints is part of the lower chamber’s mandate.

READ: 3 impeachment complaints against VP Sara Duterte verified -- House SecGen

“May ilang naglalako ng ideya na ang impeachment diumano ay gumagambala lamang sa kapayapaan ng bansa. “Peace” na lamang daw. Pero ang katotohanan… hindi magiging mapayapa ang ating bayan hangga’t walang pananagutan sa mga naluluklok at umaabuso sa kapangyarihan. Ilusyon lang ang kapayaan hangga’t nananatili ang korapsyon at katiwalian,” Manuel said.

“If people claim to be believers of Jesus Christ, I trust that they can study the bible carefully and apply what it says to the relevant context of the day,” he added.

“Aking mga kagalang-galang na kapwa mambabatas, hinihimok tayo ng taumbayan na panagutin ang mga dapat managot at tutulan ang kahit anong porma ng katiwalian sa gobyerno,” Manuel stressed.

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro, for her part, hopes lawmakers will not waste the information gathered in the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability’s investigation into the confidential fund use of the offices led by Vice President Duterte, which were used as part of the basis in the complaints.

“Sana huwag sayangin ng Kongreso ‘yung mga ginawang pag-iimbestiga rito… Kailangan natin tugunan itong ganitong clamor ng ating mga kababayan na magtuloy itong impeachment,” Castro said.

She expects the impeachment complaints to be forwarded to the Office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez within the week, after House Secretary General Reginald Velasco told the media last Friday that the three complaints have been verified by his office’s legal department.

READ: 'No peace without accountability': Ex-presidential adviser reacts to INC peace rally

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