Not even President Rodrigo Duterte can stop his supporters from filing an impeachment complaint against Vice President Leni Robredo.
A group composed of lawyers, professors, and a government official on Thursday rejected Duterte's earlier call for an end to threats to impeach the Vice President.
"We would always support the President but the President cannot tell us what to do," lawyer Bruce Rivera, the group's spokesperson, said in a press briefing. Rivera previously served as legal counsel to alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles.
Rivera said the group's members are "not blind followers" of the President.
"If we see fit that Leni Robredo should be impeached, even against the will of the President then what can we do? We are Filipinos, we are not Duterte supporters only," Rivera added.
Interior and Local Government Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III first told CNN Philippines on Saturday, that a group of "topnotch" lawyers had started a case build-up for Robredo's possible impeachment.
The group said they have so far found three possible grounds for Robredo's impeachment: betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes. They refused to elaborate.
But Rivera said Robredo's video message to the United Nations, criticizing the country's war on drugs "triggered" the group's filing of an impeachment rap.
Although everyone has right to free speech, Political Science Professor Antonio Contreras said Robredo is not an ordinary citizen, and should be careful of what she tells other countries about the Philippines.
The Office of the Vice President has said Robredo is ready to face any impeachment complaint that could possibly be filed against her.
But her lawyers said the Vice President's statements are not enough legal basis for the impeachment complaint.
Meanwhile, lawyers Tom Berenguer and Trixie Cruz Angeles are also part of the group seeking Robredo's ouster.
Angeles was part of the legal team of former Chief Justice Renato Corona during his impeachment trial in 2012.
The Senate ruled to impeach Corona over misdeclaration in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
Contreras said they are also looking into Robredo's supposed misdeclarations in her SALN, and would include these in the impeachment complaint once they have enough evidence.
The group hopes to file the impeachment case against Robredo by May, when the House of Representatives resumes session.
This could be the second complaint filed against the Vice President.
