TACLOBAN CITY — House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan defended the House of Representatives’ continued deliberations on the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, saying lawmakers are obligated to follow the constitutional process regardless of rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle East.

In an interview on Tuesday, March 10, Libanan said Congress cannot simply ignore an impeachment complaint once it has been formally filed and referred to the House Committee on Justice.

“Impeachment is a constitutional process provided under our Constitution. We cannot question those who filed or endorsed it,” Libanan said.

He explained that the House is required to act on such complaints once they are lodged and transmitted to the justice committee for deliberation.

“We have to act on it, like what the Committee on Justice is doing. We cannot simply ignore it,” he said.

Libanan also noted that even the impeachment complaint previously filed against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was taken up by the committee before it was eventually dismissed for lack of sufficient evidence.

According to the lawmaker, the impeachment proceedings against Duterte only happened to coincide with escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East that have contributed to higher global oil prices.

“This just happened coinciding with the Middle East issue,” he said. “If we fail to act on an impeachment complaint and simply keep silent, we could be held liable. That would be a culpable violation of the Constitution.”

“This is simply part of our job. Trabaho lang,” Libanan added.

Congress has drawn criticism—particularly from Duterte’s supporters—who questioned why lawmakers continue to tackle the impeachment complaints while the country is dealing with economic concerns, including rising fuel costs linked to the Middle East situation.

Earlier, the House Committee on Justice voted to allow the impeachment complaints against Duterte to move forward after finding them sufficient in form and substance. The Vice President has been given 10 days to respond to the allegations.

If the committee later determines that there is probable cause, the complaints will be elevated to the House of Representatives of the Philippines for a vote. If the chamber approves the articles of impeachment, the case will be transmitted to the Senate of the Philippines for trial.

If convicted in an impeachment trial, Duterte could be removed from office and barred from holding any future public position.

The Vice President earlier announced her intention to run for president in the 2028 national elections.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Eastern Visayas has launched a new digital platform designed to streamline employment services and improve job matching across the region.

The platform, called HIRE Eastern Visayas or the Hub for Integrated Regional Employment, was introduced during the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) Year-End Performance Assessment and Regional PESO Congress held in Palo, Leyte.

HIRE Eastern Visayas aims to bring employment-related services into a single digital system where job seekers, employers, and Public Employment Service Offices across the region can connect more efficiently.

The system integrates job matching, career development support, labor market information management, and inter-agency data sharing into one platform, allowing PESO offices across Eastern Visayas to better coordinate employment services.

DOLE Regional Director Dax Villaruel said that the initiative marks a significant step in modernizing how government agencies connect job seekers with employment opportunities.

“With HIRE Eastern Visayas, we are not simply upgrading a system—we are fundamentally transforming the way government connects with its people,” he said.

Officials said the platform is expected to benefit workers, returning overseas Filipino workers, and young job seekers by improving access to employment opportunities and related services.

A memorandum of agreement was also signed with partner agencies to support the implementation of the platform, including the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Migrant Workers, Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Civil Service Commission, along with Advance Thinkers Corporation, the platform developer.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — A new two-classroom school building has been completed at Tagkip Elementary School in the town of Dagami, Leyte, providing improved learning facilities for pupils who previously held classes in makeshift rooms.

The project was implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways through its DPWH Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office to help address classroom shortages and enhance the learning environment in the school.

The newly completed one-story building includes two standard classrooms, two comfort rooms, and a water tank that serves as a rainwater catchment system connected to handwashing and sanitation facilities. A PWD-accessible ramp with proper slope and handrails was also installed to comply with accessibility standards.

District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura said the new facility will benefit 49 learners, including 26 Grade 4 pupils and 23 Grade 5 pupils, who previously held their classes in temporary structures.

Before the building was completed, the students conducted their lessons in a makeshift classroom, according to school principal Merlinda Angcay, who expressed gratitude for the project.

Angcay said the new classrooms will provide a safer and more conducive environment for learning for both students and teachers.

The project, funded under the Department of Education Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF), had a contract cost of P5.95 million and was implemented by KM Golong Construction.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)