The lawyer behind the third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte didn’t hold back when reacting to a massive “peace rally” in Manila on Monday, January 13.
“Filipinos are for peace, but we are NOT stupid,” lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan wrote in a fiery X post Monday night. Emphasizing the importance of accountability, he added, “Peace without justice is no peace. It’s appeasement to greed, corruption, and impunity.”
By Tuesday morning, Ligutan softened his choice of words but kept the core message intact, revising his post to: “Filipinos are for peace, but we are NOT naive.”
Peace without justice is no peace. It’s appeasement to greed, corruption, and impunity.
Filipinos are for peace, but we are NOT naive.
— A V Ligutan (@v_ligutan) January 14, 2025
The Rally and Its Political Undertones
The rally, reportedly attended by 1.5 million people, was organized by Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) and promoted as a call for peace and unity.
However, the event’s timing and participation by allies of Vice President Duterte gave it a distinctly political tone.
Amid ongoing controversies, Duterte faces three verified impeachment complaints, all awaiting deliberation in the House of Representatives. Multiple parties endorsed the complaints, signaling an intense political battle ahead.
Grounds for Impeachment
On December 19, Ligutan, alongside a group of priests and lawyers from the Congregation of Mission and the Union of People’s Lawyers of Mindanao, filed the third impeachment complaint against Duterte.
The complaints allege several serious offenses:
- Culpable violation of the Constitution
- Bribery
- Graft and corruption
- Plunder
- Malversation and technical malversation
- Betrayal of public trust
Ligutan emphasized the gravity of these allegations during the filing, stating that Duterte must answer for the “controversial manner” in which she spent millions in confidential funds and her refusal to publicly explain their allocation.
A Growing Movement for Accountability
Ligutan also highlighted the growing public support for holding the Vice President accountable.
“There is palpable broad-based support to the initiatives to hold her accountable for the controversial manner she spent the multi-million confidential funds entrusted to her by the Filipino people,” the lawyer stated last week.
As the impeachment process looms, the rally serves as a stark reminder of the divisive political landscape in the Philippines. Rally organizers framed it as a call for unity. But critics argue that true peace is possible only through justice and accountability.
This unfolding saga underscores a critical moment in the nation’s political history, with far-reaching implications for governance, transparency, and public trust in leadership.
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