House members impeached Sara Duterte based on merits, not ayuda —prosecutors

Members of the prosecution panel in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte denied Thursday that ayuda or cash incentives were given to lawmakers to endorse the complaint, saying they did it based on merits.

“For those who did not sign, it did not affect or it will not affect their standing as members. Maybe it's safe to say that for those who did not sign, there are personal dynamics within their jurisdiction. Maybe there are personal relations that they took into consideration. And we respect that. Marami kaming pumirma. Marami din naman silang hindi pumirma. Kaya masasabi mong walang pilitan at walang regret ang hindi pumirma,” Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor, a member of the 11-strong prosecution panel, said in a press conference.

(A lot of us signed the complaint, while a lot of our colleagues also did not sign. So you can say that there is no forcing one’s hand here, and there are no regrets for those who did not sign.)

“Wala rin regret ang pumirma. There were party consultations and considering that there were three previous impeachment complaint filed. Nakabuo ng mas matatag at mas klarong impeachment complaint that it gave confidence to more than 200 or 215 congressmen to act as complainants in this impeachment process. Binasa nila ang complaint bago sila pumirma,” he added.

(Those who signed the complaint also have no regrets. We were able to build a stronger and clearer impeachment case.They read the complaints before they signed it.)

Another prosecutor, Rep. Rodge Gutierrez, said that lawmakers were not induced or forced into anything since they were not even involved in the drafting of the complaint.

“We categorically deny these allegations [of grease money to move the impeachment needle]. This was an independent action and we believe it was done faithfully and truthfully by each member," he said.

“It is their intention to support the impeachment based on the merits of the case and nothing more,” he added.

Inevitable conclusion

Gutierrez and Defensor said the impeachment complaint was the logical conclusion given the results of the House inquiry and the actions of the Vice President herself.

“This is a long time coming. Although there was no talk of impeachment, they've (House members) already formed their own opinions from the hearings of the Quadcomm and the good government committees. This was accumulated into the first three impeachment complaints but it did gather consensus, the momentum needed. And while most congressmen were eagerly awaiting to fulfill our mandate by hearing it in the Justice Committee, I believe the party leaders have already thought of finding consensus between the three,” Gutierrez said.

“[And] so, they took the best parts, took out the parts that they feel were not agreeable to other members and that was what was presented. And finally, yesterday, it resulted in the impeachment, the initiation of the complaint. But personally, as an active member of those committees [which conducted inquiries on the Vice President], I feel that this is the culmination and vindication of the findings that we have had there,” he added.

Defensor, on the other hand, said the Vice President’s threat to the life of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos and Speaker Martin Romualdez is clearly a crime that is punishable by impeachment.

“This is a logical conclusion of the actuations of the Vice President herself. Nobody told her to go live on video and say that she has contracted somebody to kill the President, the wife of the President, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. That is a direct threat to the life of the Chief Executive, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” he said.

“So clearly, as a Vice President, you do not do that to the President if you are to succeed [the President] if that happens [that he is killed]. This is clearly a betrayal of public trust and a high crime as considered by the framers of the Constitution. Mabigat po ito. This is a grave and serious offense to the Constitution,” he added.

Fake info

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Adiong, for his part, called on the public to be vigilant amid false information. He cited an alleged social media post of Cagayan de Oro Rep. Lordan Suan, promising ayuda to his constituents since he was one of the 215 lawmakers who signed the impeachment complaint.

“The smear campaign has already started and we expect a lot of these to come. I have talked to Congressman Suan, and he told me that statement was not his and false,” Adiong said.

“These peddlers of lies are just trying to preempt the decision of the Senate impeachment court,” he added.

In a separate statement, Suan denied that he issued a social media post promising ayuda.

“It has come to my attention that a post from the fake page, The Working Congressman, is circulating online. I never issued that statement. This is fake news and black propaganda aimed to mislead the people and tarnish my name, that of Speaker Martin Romualdez, and the House of Representatives,” Suan said.

“These are all lies. Yes, I voted "yes" to the impeachment. I voted for accountability, and not against any individual. My vote was not a personal attack against the Vice President. I am a public servant and my loyalty will always lie with the people of the 1st District of Cagayan de Oro City. My ‘yes’ vote does not change who I am, nor does it alter my commitment to serve you,” he added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News