The Manila Times
(UPDATE) FORMER president and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo denied planning to oust Speaker Faustino Dy III amid reports that she is gunning for the speakership to stop the impeachment trial of her ally, Vice President Sara Duterte. “I categorically deny the allegations concerning the supposed ouster of Speaker [Faustino] Dy that surfaced yesterday,” Arroyo said on her Facebook page. She reaffirmed her confidence in Dy’s leadership in the House of Representatives. “Our mutual support, which began many years ago with his late father, remains unbroken,” Arroyo said, referring to former Isabela governor Faustino Dy Sr. The speaker’s office has yet to respond to questions raised by The Manila Times regarding the reports. Dy has been the subject of criticisms about his leadership, with several House members saying they were “unhappy” with it. Last March, Deputy Speaker and Antipolo Rep. Ronaldo Puno, chairman of the National Unity Party, said they were considering bolting from the majority after he alleged that Dy was not speaking to lawmakers regarding their concerns. “Our problem is we face our people, our [barangay] captains, every day. They ask us, ‘What happened? Why is there no help for our people now?’ We have no answer. We ask here, we hear no answer. Only promises that do not get fulfilled,” Puno said. He said their concerns had been resolved through the efforts of Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos. Another lawmaker, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, lamented that some officials identified with former speaker Martin Romualdez remained under Dy. “The painful part is that even the former speaker’s staff who were involved in those shenanigans shouldn’t be rehired here in the House. It’s like we’re making a fool out of everyone,” Tiangco said in a recent interview. In a related development, a group of intervenors in two consolidated cases before the Supreme Court has accused the House Committee on Justice of exceeding its constitutional authority by conducting what they described as a “mini trial,” and engaging in political persecution against the vice president. In a press briefing focused on the petition in intervention, he jointly filed with lawyers Jerryl Rondez-Layog, James Reserva, other counsel, and One Bangsamoro leader Maulana “Alan” Balangi, Dr. Ronald Adamat said the group had serious concerns over how the impeachment complaint against Duterte was handled. The intervenors are part of the consolidated petitions earlier filed by lawyer Israelito Torreon and Duterte. Adamat, who is also chairman of the Volunteers for Inday for President of Sustainable Development and co-convenor of the DDS SARA ALL Confederation, claimed the House panel “abused its discretion and violated the Constitution.” The intervenors raised four main concerns: – the committee’s alleged conduct of a “mini trial,” which they said encroaches on the Senate’s exclusive role as an impeachment court – the issuance of subpoenas for evidence not attached to the original complaint, which they described as a “fishing expedition” aiding complainants – the supposed denial of equal protection, citing what they called contrasting treatment of an impeachment case involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – alleged violations of due process and the principle of separation of powers. Adamat said the panel was selectively targeting the vice president while overlooking similar or larger issues involving the president. “Notice how the committee ignores President Marcos Jr.’s P4 billion-plus confidential funds a year, but zeroes in on VP Duterte’s P125 million, which COA already cleared,” he said. “This selective justice exposes the committee’s true intent: political persecution, not accountability,” he added. The intervenors pleaded with the high court to “see through this charade” and uphold the Constitution, arguing that the public deserves genuine accountability rather than what they described as politically motivated action. “This is not just a procedural issue; it is a blatant attempt to undermine VP Duterte’s credibility and block her path to 2028,” Adamat said.
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