Duterte allies' bid to suspend House leaders a 'political maneuver,' solon says

The attempt of former President Rodrigo Duterte's allies to suspend leaders of the House of Representatives seeks to distract Congress and the public from the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a respondent in the complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman said Thursday.

House Majority Leader and Zamboanga City Rep. Mannix Dalipe said the timing of the motion for preventive suspension at the Office of Ombudsman against himself, Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, and others was "telling," as it was allegedly meant to "pressure" the House and "create a false narrative" that undermines the integrity of its leadership.

"The request for the Ombudsman to order the preventive suspension of House leaders is a blatant political maneuver aimed at disrupting the work of Congress. It is no coincidence that this comes at a time when discussions on the impeachment have gained traction," Dalipe said.

"Clearly, they are using this complaint as a diversionary tactic to shift public attention away from the real issue—the impeachment case against the Vice President and the questions she must answer. This is a desperate attempt to weaponize the Ombudsman for political retaliation," Dalipe added.

Dalipe was referring to the motion filed by Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez and three others on Wednesday asking the Office of the Ombudsman to place Romualdez and other House leaders under preventive suspension over alleged falsification of the National Budget law, and graft and corruption.

The motion stemmed from their earlier complaint accusing Romualdez and other House leaders of tampering with the 2025 National Budget law since the Bicameral Conference Report on the measure allegedly had blanks, paving the way for a supposed P241 billion worth of insertions.

The House of Representatives impeached the Vice President last February 5, accusing her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption and other high crimes over alleged misuse of public funds, threats made against President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., his wife, and Romualdez, as well as involvement in killings in Davao City.

Dalipe maintained that the House's actions, both on the impeachment and the national budget, were done to uphold transparency and accountability.

"Malinaw ang taktika nila: Kahit walang kwentang kaso, isasampa sa korte para ilihis ang isyu at palabasin na masama ang mga House Members na nag-impeach sa Vice President. Let's be clear: the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is a product of rigorous, transparent, and lawful deliberations. The allegations of "insertions" are misleading and baseless," Dalipe said.

(Their tactic is clear: Even if charges are without basis, they will file cases with the court to derail the issue and make the House members who impeached the Vice President appear as villains.)

"If there are genuine concerns, they should be addressed within the proper legislative processes, not through political harassment. We will not be intimidated by these tactics. We trust that the Ombudsman will not allow itself to be used as a tool for political games and will dismiss this baseless request for preventive suspension," Dalipe added.

Sought for comment on Dalipe's statements, Alvarez said: "Tell that to the Ombudsman, stupid."

The Vice President has maintained that she welcomes the filing of impeachment complaints, as this would provide an opportunity to answer allegations hurled against her. — VDV/RSJ, GMA Integrated News