MANILA, Philippines – Detained Senator Leila de Lima on Tuesday, April 25, urged her party mates to support the impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte.

The senator made the call after some Liberal Party (LP) lawmakers announced that they had agreed not to support the impeachment bid against Duterte initiated by Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano. (READ: Alejano wants Duterte impeached over Benham Rise, West PH Sea row)

De Lima, a member of the Liberal Party, said the accusations in the impeachment complaint against Duterte are “serious enough” to be heard and examined by Congress. 

“I regard with serious reservations the decision of some members of the Liberal Party, especially those belonging to the so-called ‘supermajority coalition’ in Congress, to refrain from extending their support to the impeachment complaint filed against President Duterte,” De Lima said in a statement.

“The accusations contained in the impeachment complaint are serious enough to warrant, at the very least, the opportunity to be heard, and for the evidence offered to be carefully examined within the bounds of constitutionally-guaranteed processes,” she added.

She urged her party mates to “uphold” their oath to the Filipino public. Apathy, she said, would only “embolden” abusive officials.

“We owe it to the Filipino people who elected us to be given the chance to participate in the national discourse of exacting accountability from our impeachable public officials, regardless of the outcome,” she said.

“I hope that my party mates uphold the oath each one of us took before the Filipino electorate to fight tyranny and corruption by defending the rule of law, civil liberties, and human rights,” the senator added.

Fifteen LP lawmakers allied with the House majority have agreed not to support any impeachment complaint filed against the “leaders of the land” including Duterte and Vice President Leni Robredo – a consensus reached during their meeting with the latter, who also stands as the party chairperson 

De Lima, among the President’s staunchest critics, has called herself a victim of “persecution” of the Duterte administration following her arrest for drug charges. (READ: De Lima hits DOJ’s ‘substantive outrages’ in final plea to SC) – Rappler.com