Atty. Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER.net file photo

MANILA, Philippines — Former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, who served under ex-president Rodrigo Duterte, said the move to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte will only get Filipinos to support her.

The House of Representatives impeached the vice president on Wednesday afternoon, with 215 lawmakers endorsing a fourth complaint and speedily sending the petition to the Senate for a trial.

“Their move will only galvanize the support of the Filipino people on VP Sara and will fan the flames of disgust and rage against their willful and brazen violation of the guarantees enshrined in the Constitution,” Panelo said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.

“These lawmakers obviously have not heeded the overwhelming voice of the people opposing the impeachment of the vice-president, nor have they respected the wish of PBBM to [forego] such a divisive and non-productive political endeavor that does not benefit a single Filipino,” he added.

The petition to impeach Vice President Duterte received more than the required 102 signatures, or one-third of the 306 members of the House, to fast-track the proceedings as Congress goes on a break for the midterm election season.

READ: House impeaches VP Sara Duterte, fast-tracking transmittal to Senate

“As expected, the anti-forces have commenced the impeachment process against VP Sara. Having the numbers, railroading the process is a foregone conclusion,” the former chief presidential legal counsel said.

“As I have repeatedly stated, the purpose is to destroy and besmirch the reputation of VP Sara with the ultimate goal of disqualifying her from the 2028 presidential elections, being the leading contender,” he added.

Duterte previously declared that the presidency in the 2022 election was “hers already,” when surveys showed her in the lead.

By the end of the session, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) shed 0.19 percent, or 13.89 points, to 7,388.92.

READ: ‘2022 presidency was mine already’ – VP Duterte

However, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – a long-time ally of the Dutertes – claimed that Duterte was “in no rush” to claim the presidency in 2028.

READ: Dela Rosa: Sara Duterte ‘in no rush’ to be president, it’s someone else

“They have not learned the lessons of history. Indeed, ‘Whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad,’” Panelo said.

Forty-one percent of Filipinos supported the vice president’s impeachment, while 35 percent opposed it and 19 percent were undecided, according to a December 2024 survey by pollster Social Weather Stations (SWS) conducted in partnership with think-tank Stratbase Group.

READ: 41% for impeach rap, 35% against, 19% undecided

The Senate received the impeachment complaint also on Wednesday afternoon.

READ: VP Sara Duterte impeachment complaint reaches Senate

A trial in Congress’ upper chamber, as provided by Section 3, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, is now pending.

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If two-thirds of senators vote to convictrich711, Duterte will be removed from office and disqualified from holding any office afterward.