Lawmakers deny perks for House vote vs VP Sara

MANILA, Philippines — Dismissing circulating claims as baseless and diversionary, House leaders denied yesterday allegations that lawmakers were being offered incentives or threatened with budget cuts to secure votes in favor of impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte.

Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre reacted to remarks by Sen. Imee Marcos, who claimed there was a massive incentive package for lawmakers who would vote “yes” on Duterte’s impeachment.

According to Marcos, the alleged package
included cash, additional monthly maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) allocations and projects for lawmakers supporting the complaint.

She also claimed those who would vote “no” could face a zero budget and possible charges.

Luistro, chairperson of the House committee on justice, said she never encountered any such offer or threat since the start of the impeachment proceedings.

“I can speak for myself only and I deny the pronouncement of Senator Imee with all due respect to her. I have not encountered anything like that,” Luistro said during the Saturday News Forum.

“I deny that as well as far as I am concerned, we have not heard of or encountered anything like that. As a matter of fact, no one has spoken to me regarding this impeachment process since Day 1 of our proceedings in the justice committee,” she added.

Luistro also brushed aside insinuations that the impeachment vote was being driven by incentives, noting that the House justice panel spent two months deliberating on the complaint.

“The task of defending the committee report before the plenary is really tough. So instead of focusing on the baseless statements of the people around, I would rather focus on how I am going to deliver my report to the plenary,” she said. “As a matter of fact, we spent two months in the justice committee. No one talked to me, offered me anything or threatened me. I deny the statement of the Vice President.”

For his part, Acidre accused Marcos of resorting to “diversionary tactics,” saying her allegations were “grave, reckless and impossible to take seriously without evidence.”

He said the claims appeared intended to divert public attention from the evidence presented during the impeachment proceedings.

“If Senator Imee has evidence, she should present the receipts. She should name those who allegedly received the money, name those who offered it and file cases. If she has none, she should stop the diversionary tactics and attacks against the entire House,” Acidre said.

He also said a sitting senator should exercise restraint and respect toward a co-equal chamber of Congress instead of making allegations without proof.

‘Donate to poor’

Meanwhile, Sen. Erwin Tulfo challenged those supposedly behind the alleged offers to instead donate the money to poor Filipinos.

When asked about the alleged bribery, Tulfo expressed disbelief over the amount of money supposedly involved.

“Was it mentioned who has been going around offering these? That person seems to have a lot of money – they should just give it to those in need,” Tulfo said over dwIZ.

“There is a fuel crisis. I would be happier if the money were given there instead. That seems unfair,” he added.

Marcos earlier noted that the alleged financial offers were only being made in the lower chamber.

Tulfo said no such lobbying efforts had reached the Senate. — Neil Jayson Servallos