Inihayag ng National Unity Party (NUP) na posibleng hindi sila bumoto para sa panibagong impeachment laban kay Bise Presidente Sara Duterte kung wala silang makikitang “compelling new evidence” sa reklamo. Kasabay nito, nilinaw ng isang lider ng partido na wala pa silang party stand sa usapin at boboto ang mga kasapi nila batay sa kanilang konsensiya.

“At this stage, the NUP has not seen the inclusion of new and material evidence that would warrant a departure from issues that have already been the subject of prior inquiries and extensive public hearings,” saad sa inilabas na pahayag ng NUP, na isa sa pinakamalaking partido sa Kamara de Representantes.

“Unless compelling new evidence emerges during the course of these hearings that fundamentally alters the factual basis for the impeachment complaint, the NUP will most likely not vote in favor of this measure,” dagdag nito.

Iginiit din ng NUP na hindi dapat gamitin ang proseso ng impeachment bilang political tool.

“It is not a political instrument nor a forum for revisiting matters already exhaustively examined,” saad ng NUP.

"Rather, it is a solemn constitutional mechanism for enforcing accountability at the highest levels of public office, and should be evaluated carefully in light of the evidence presented,” dagdag nito.

Nilinaw ng partido na hindi nito pipigilan ang mga pagdinig at nananatili silang bukas sa pagsusuri sa anumang bagong ebidensyang maaaring maipakita sa deliberasyon.

Para sa partido, dapat unahin ng Kongreso ang mga mahahalagang usapin sa bansa, at sinabing malaking oras at pondo ng Kamara at Senado ang nagugugol sa proseso.

“The NUP believes that Congress must carefully allocate its time, focus, and institutional resources toward more pressing and urgent national concerns,” anang NUP.

“...Resources which we believe would be better directed toward matters that have a more immediate impact on the economic stability, public safety, and the daily welfare of Filipinos,” dagdag nito.

Samantala, nilinaw ni NUP Chairman at House Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno ngayong Huwebes, na wala pang party stand ang kanilang grupo tungkol sa panibagong impeachment complaints laban kay Duterte.

“No, this is not the party stand. This is just the consensus of the ones that I have talked to,” ayon kay Puno.

“We are very divided right now. So we ended up with let's see what the evidence will show,” dagdag pa niya.

“We will have another formal meeting. [But] I doubt that there will be a party stand here because there is just too much division among our members,” dagdag niya.

Apat na impeachment complaints ang inihain sa Kamara laban kay Duterte na nakatakdang dinggin ng House committee on justice.

Kung makakakuha ng sapat na boto ng mga kongresista, ang reklamo laban kay Duterte ay magiging articles of impeachment at ipadadala sa Senado para litisin ang pangalawang pangulo.

Ayon kay Puno, boboto ang mga kasapi ng NUP batay sa kanilang konsensiya.

“The direction now is that we will probably have a conscience vote. Everybody will be allowed to vote the way he or she wants to vote,” giit ng kongresista. -- Joviland Rita Tina Panganiban-Perez/Llanesca T. Panti/FRJ GMA Integrated News