Efforts to impeach Rodrigo Duterte began in March 2017 when several opposition figures filed an impeachment complaint against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for his role in the war on drugs and other issues.
Efforts to impeach Rodrigo Duterte began in March 2017 when several opposition figures filed an impeachment complaint against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for his role in the war on drugs and other issues.
On March 16, 2017, Gary Alejano, an opposition lawmaker, filed an impeachment complaint against Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, [1] citing thousands of deaths in his crackdown on drug abuse and alleged corruption. The House Justice Committee officially threw out the charge by unanimous vote. [2]
Later, Alejano added changes about his relations with China, saying: "He utterly failed and/or refused to assert the country's exclusive sovereign rights and maritime rights and territorial claims over Benham Rise and Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal and the rest of the West Philippine Sea (the government's designation for portions of the South China Sea)." [3] [4]
In response to the allegations, Duterte sent the Philippine Navy to occupy several "disputed" islands. [5] [6]
In May 2018, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay asserted that Duterte may be impeached if he fails to protect the country's territory in the South China Sea. [7] This comment followed reports that the Chinese Army had installed anti-ship and air-to-air defenses on outposts also claimed by Vietnam and the Philippines over the previous last 30 days. Duterte has been under harsh criticism for its ineffectual policy of appeasement with the Chinese government.[ citation needed ]
In response, Duterte claimed to the press that Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping swore to protect him from moves that will result in his removal from office. "The assurances of Xi Jinping were very encouraging...'We will not allow you to be taken out from your office, and we will not allow the Philippines to go to the dogs,'" Duterte said. [8]
In July 2018, former Solicitor General Hilbay further explained that, in his legal opinion, Duterte's inaction may cause the Philippines to lose their legal claim due to the waiver doctrine. [9] Such conduct would constitute a betrayal of public trust, is ground for impeachment: "I'd say it's a culpable violation of the Constitution," Hilbay said. "There's no doubt in my mind as a constitutionalist, as the agent who served as counsel for the Republic, that these are clear betrayals of public trust." [9]
Following an incident at the Reed Bank in June 2019 wherein the F/B Gem-Ver, a boat carrying 22 Filipino fishermen sank after being rammed by a Chinese vessel, [10] the wife of its captain opined that she was in favor of impeaching Duterte for continuing to allow Chinese boats to fish in the area. [11] Similarly, fisherfolk group Pamalakaya also filed an impeachment case against Duterte. [12]
On 21 June 2019, Rhema International Livelihood Foundation, an alleged donor of Kapa Community Ministry International which was involved in an Ponzi scheme, petitioned the Supreme Court to have Duterte submitted for impeachment proceedings in relation to his actions involving the shutting down of Kapa Community Ministry International. In addition, the petition urged the removal from office of Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Emilio Aquino. [13]
Rodrigo Roa Duterte, also known as Digong, Rody, and by the initials DU30 and PRRD, is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 16th president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. He is the chairperson of PDP–Laban, the ruling political party in the Philippines during his presidency. Duterte is the first president of the Philippines to be from Mindanao, and is the oldest person to assume office, beginning his term at age 71.
Antonio Fuentes Trillanes IV is a retired Philippine naval officer who also served as a senator of the Philippines from 2007 to 2019. He is known for his involvement in the Oakwood mutiny of 2003 and the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007 in protest against the Arroyo administration, and as a vocal critic of the Duterte administration.
Alan Peter Schramm Cayetano is a Filipino lawyer and diplomat serving as a Senator since 2022 and previously from 2007 to 2017. He was the Senate Minority Leader from 2010 to 2013, and later Senate Majority Leader from 2013 to 2016. He also served as the Representative of Taguig–Pateros from 1998 to 2007 and from 2019 to 2022 and was the Speaker of the House of Representatives from 2019 until his resignation in 2020. He also served as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2018 in the cabinet of President Rodrigo Duterte, after unsuccessfully running for vice president in the 2016 elections as Duterte's running mate.
The Philippine Rise, formerly known as Benham Rise, is an extinct volcanic ridge located in the Philippine Sea approximately 250 kilometers (160 mi) east of the northern coastline of Dinapigue, Isabela. The rise has been known to the people of Catanduanes as Kalipung-awan as early as the precolonial era of the Philippines, which literally means "loneliness from an isolated place".
Esther Margaux Justiniano Uson, better known as Mocha Uson, is a controversial Filipino singer, actress, dancer, model, political blogger, and public official widely known for spreading fake news and disinformation. She is also a co-founder of the group Mocha Girls.
Bilateral relations between China and the Philippines have significantly progressed in recent years, peaking during the Philippine presidencies of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Rodrigo Duterte. However, relations have become increasingly tense due to territorial disputes in the South China Sea, particularly since the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff; in 2013, the Philippine government under President Benigno Aquino III in 2013 filed an arbitration case at The Hague against China over China's expansive maritime claims. The policy of current Philippine president Bongbong Marcos aims for distancing relations between the Philippines and China in favor of the country's relationship with the United States. The current policy of the general secretary of the Chinese Communist Party aims for greater influence over the Philippines, and the region in general, while combating American influence.
Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo is a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the 14th vice president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022. She previously served as the representative of the 3rd district of Camarines Sur from 2013 to 2016.
2017 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in 2017.
Rodrigo Duterte's six-year tenure as the 16th President of the Philippines began on June 30, 2016, succeeding Benigno Aquino III. He was the first president from Mindanao, the first president to have worked in all three branches of government, and the oldest to be elected. He won the election amid growing frustration with post-EDSA governance that favored elites over ordinary Filipinos. His tenure ended on June 30, 2022.
Protests against Former President Rodrigo Duterte escalated on November 18, 2016, following Duterte's support of the burial of the late president Ferdinand Marcos. These series of protests are mostly conducted by progressive groups and other opposing figures mainly due to the ongoing war on drugs, the declaration of martial law in Mindanao, and employment issues such as contractual terms being applied by companies and inflation which occurred due to the passage of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion Law. Other causes of the protests include the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, and the shutdown and franchise denial of ABS-CBN.
The following is a timeline of protests against Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th President of the Philippines, and his policies. Issues were addressed in the protests including the war on drugs, employment issues, anti-terror law, and the government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2019 in the Philippines details events of note that have occurred in the Philippines in 2019.
The quo warranto petition against Maria Lourdes Sereno, filed before the Supreme Court of the Philippines, led to the landmark case Republic v. Sereno, which nullified Maria Lourdes Sereno's appointment as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, finding that she never lawfully held the office due to a lack of integrity for failing to file certain required financial documents. As a result, she was ousted from the Supreme Court as Chief Justice. The Court handed down its ruling on May 11, 2018. The case began with a filing before the House of Representatives of an impeachment demand, the accusations in which Solicitor General Jose Calida used as the factual basis for his quo warranto petition.
Leni Robredo, the 14th Vice President of the Philippines, has held various foreign, domestic, economic, and social positions over the course of her career. She has supported women's rights and women empowerment, human rights, ending endo contractualization, and policies that are pro-poor. As the chairperson of the Liberal Party during her vice presidency, Robredo was the leader of the opposition against President Rodrigo Duterte, taking positions that are contrary to that of the Duterte administration's policies, opposing federalism and charter change, the reimposition of the death penalty, warmer relations with China, and the war on drugs.
Since September 2018, allegations of an ouster plot against Rodrigo Duterte, the President of the Philippines, have been publicized by the military, who mainly implicated opposition figures and critics of the Duterte administration of involving in the plot. Several opposition groups who have been tagged heavily criticized their inclusion and subsequently denied the involvement in the plots.
The Kapa-Community Ministry International was one of the biggest financial investment fraud scandals in Philippine history. An estimated five million people were duped by the religious company Kapa-Community Ministry International, which promised a 30% monthly return on investments for life. Kapa started in 2016 as Kapa Coop Convenience Store and General Merchandise in the city of Bislig, founded by Joel Apolinario. The City Economic Enterprise Department (CEED) shut down the business for failing to comply with some provisions. In August 2017, Apolinario was charged with 102 cases for not settling claims; 27 arrest warrants were issued. However, all the cases were dismissed with the complainants compensated. Apolinario's company moved south, becoming Kapa-Community Ministry International. The company enlisted new recruits, who became member-donors and in turn recruited new members. On June 8, 2019, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the corporation to be shut down over the scheme.
The 2019 Reed Bank incident occurred when F/B Gem-Ver, a Philippine fishing boat anchored in Reed Bank in the South China Sea, sank after it was rammed by a Chinese vessel, Yuemaobinyu 42212, during the early morning hours of 9 June 2019. The stricken vessel's crew was later rescued by a Vietnamese fishing vessel.
A dispute within the PDP–Laban, the ruling party of the Philippines, began on March 12, 2021 when Senator Manny Pacquiao began to criticize President Rodrigo Duterte and the government regarding the dispute in the South China Sea, alleged corruption in the government agencies under the Duterte administration, the government handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the endorsement of the candidates for the 2022 presidential election, leading to the creation of two factions.
The State of the Nation Addresses of Rodrigo Duterte, the 16th president of the Philippines, were met with several protests.
