Philippines Kills Impeachment Complaint Against Rodrigo Duterte
"But it does raise the question: Is this development proof there can’t be any accountability for alleged wrongs in the Philippines?" Mr. Alejano
filed the impeachment complaint in March, accusing Mr. Duterte of orchestrating the mass murder of thousands of drug users and dealers.
By FELIPE VILLAMORMAY 15, 2017
MANILA — Lawmakers in the Philippines on Monday threw out an impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte
that accused him of orchestrating the mass murder of thousands of people in his crackdown on drug use.
Last month a Filipino lawyer for two men who say they were paid assassins for Mr. Duterte when he was mayor of Davao City asked the court to charge Mr. Duterte
and 11 other Philippine officials with mass murder and crimes against humanity.
The majority leader, Rudy Fariñas, said that Congressman Gary Alejano, who initiated the complaint, had no "personal
knowledge" of the allegations, which he said were taken largely from news reports of the killings.
Romel Bagares, a human rights lawyer at the Center for International Law in Manila, said the House’s decision "shouldn’t really be a surprise" given
that a majority of the 292-member House supports the president.
House said that The president respects a coequal branch of government and does not interfere in the political exercise,