Marcos loyalist Oliver Lozano has filed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday, March 20.
Lozano, who became known for having the most number of impeachment cases filed, was joined by radio broadcaster Melchor Chavez, who represents the Volunteers for Good Government, in filing the complaint before the office of Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
The Volunteer Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) is also planning to file a separate petition to disbar Robredo if she fails to apologize publicly over her statement on alleged extrajudicial killings and the "palit-ulo" (head switching) scheme.
VACC chairman Dante Jimenez stressed that lawyers like Robredo should "behave properly and be accountable for all their data and statements," referring to the Vice President's allegations submitted before the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs in Vienna, Austria.
In the impeachment complaint, Lozano and Chavez described Robredo as the "termite of the government" and that “her unfaithfulness has extended to the betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.”
The six-page complaint claimed the former Camarines Sur congresswoman's UN video regarding the 7,000 victims of extrajudicial killing is "fake news" as this figure "has been repeated again and again by the Yellow Cult, and even by uninformed media abroad.”
In addition, it can also be read in the complaint that "Rappler has even misled readers by claiming that the numbers are based on data from the Philippine National Police (PNP).” The complaint insisted that there has only been 2,166 people killed, which is three times smaller than the figure VP Robredo told the UN commission.
Lozano also brought out press secretary Rigoberto Tiglao's criticism against Robredo's claim about a "palit-ulo" scheme.
“She betrayed the people by shaming the nation with her dishonest message to the UN,” Lozano stressed, noting that the Vice President “doesn’t present any iota of evidence for her claims” of the human rights violations she alleges.
In a roughly six-minute video message submitted by Robredo to the UN body, it was stated that “since July last year, more than 7,000 people have been killed in summary executions” and that “people are told (by law enforcers) that they did not have the right to demand for search warrants because they were squatters and did not own the properties on which their houses were built.”
The video also spoke of "palit-ulo," a scheme where the wife, husband or relative of the person included in the drug list will be taken if the one listed could not be found.
PNP chief Director General Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa admitted that the scheme does exist, but clarified that "palit-ulo" refers to charging drug pushers with a lesser offense, in exchange for the identification of their suppliers or a bigger drug lord.
“It’s not commonly practiced but it does happen... I deny the version of VP Robredo. The police would be so stupid to do that (arrest someone else for the offense of another person),” Dela Rosa said.
"Bato" also denied receiving a letter from Robredo asking the PNP and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to investigate the killings.
Jimenez, who believes Robredo’s statements were based on hearsay, said VACC wanted a public apology.
“With hearsay information, she is vilifying before the world her own government to which she was sworn to protect as elected Vice President,” Jimenez said.
Source: The Philippine Star
Images: Rappler | The Philippine Star
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