9 Cebu lawmakers vote to impeach Sara Duterte

FILE- Lawmakers listen as new Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers his first state of the nation address in, Quezon city, Philippines, Monday, July 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila, File)

CEBU CITY, Philippines -Of the 215 lawmakers who voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, Feb. 5, nine are from Cebu.

Most—if not all—were previously allied with the Duterte administration.

They include Representatives Eduardo Rama (Cebu City, 2nd District), Ma. Cynthia Chan (Lapu-Lapu City, Lone District), and Emmarie Ouano-Dizon (Mandaue City, Lone District).

From Cebu province, the lawmakers are Representatives Rhea Gullas (1st District), Edsel Galeos (2nd District), Janice Salimbangon (4th District), Duke Frasco (5th District), Daphne Lagon (6th District), and Peter John Calderon (7th District).

Cebu, including its tri-cities, holds a total of 11 seats in the House of Representatives.

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The signatures of Cebu City 1st District Rep. Cutie Del Mar and Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia were not found on the petition.

Reporters have attempted to reach out to most of the congressmen and congresswomen for comments, but as of this moment, they have not responded.

So far, only dismissed Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, a Duterte ally and critic of the current administration, has spoken up.

In a statement, Rama denounced the House’s move to impeach the vice president.

“I am aghast because impeachment is not really good for the country,” he said.

“I am seriously alarmed by this situation because there are far more pressing problems in this country than these proceedings,” he added.

With enough endorsements from House legislators, the impeachment complaint has been transmitted to the Senate, which will serve as the impeachment tribunal to try the vice president, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

The vice president, who did not immediately react to the House’s move to impeach her, and her father have been politically at odds with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his allies, including a majority of House legislators.

Sara Duterte, widely seen as a potential presidential candidate after Marcos’s term ends in 2028, has faced at least four impeachment complaints from various legislators and left-wing activist groups over a range of issues. /with reports from Associated Press