BINATIKOS ng mga lider ng Kamara si Vice President Sara Duterte kaugnay ng pahayag nito na binayaran ang mga mambabatas na lumagda sa impeachment complaint na inihain laban sa kanya.

Sa isang panayam kamakailan sa Russian television, sinabi ni Duterte na ang mga lumagda sa reklamo ay hindi ito binasa at basta na lamang “binayaran.”

Mariing itinanggi ni House Assistant Majority Leader at Manila 1st District Rep. Ernesto “Ernix” Dionisio Jr. ang naturang paratang.

“I strongly, strongly denounce the statement na binayaran. Mga salitang ganyan is trying to, you know, evade the real issue,” ani Dionisio sa isang press conference.

“The issue is there’s an impeachment complaint filed by a Filipino citizen, dinala sa Kongreso. We have to act upon it as a constitutional mandate by Congress,” aniya.

Dagdag pa niya: “That’s exactly what the House did. May batayan ba? May pamantayan? Yes. So that’s why it was elevated to the Senate. Now they’re there to act as impeachment court.”

Sinabi ni Dionisio na layunin lamang ng mga pahayag ni Duterte na ilihis ang atensyon mula sa mga seryosong tanong na inilahad sa complaint.

“Now ‘yung ibang rhetoric, ‘yung ibang comments is simply there to sort out the real issue. There are questions being raised in the impeachment complaint. The impeachment process is there for a reason. It shows accountability, transparency in government. So ‘yun ‘yung mandated duty ng ating Constitution. It should be followed to the letter,” ayon pa kay Dionisio.

“Hindi na ‘yung mga political stunts or political comments na para ma-evade ‘yung real issue. This is the best way to prove whether a person, a leader is guilty or not. Let’s go with the process.

Let’s show the Filipino people that there is nothing to hide,” pagpapatuloy niya.

“Ipakita natin na patas ang gobyerno, na patas ang institusyon, at patas ang proseso as mandated by our Constitution. Doing so, the issues na nahaharap sa kahit sinong leader sa ating bansa—they will either be judged accordingly in history as tama ba o mali,” dagdag pa niya.

Samantala, mariin ding binatikos ni Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, chairman ng House Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims Compensation, ang mga pahayag ni Duterte at ipinagtanggol ang naging hakbang ng Kamara.

“The Articles of Impeachment were passed overwhelmingly by the House of Representatives,” ani Adiong.

“Compared to the devious acknowledgment receipts, the verified impeachment complaint has the blessing—it carries with it the blessing—of the Constitution. Sabi nga ni Cong. Ernix, the process wherein we ensure that our Constitution is alive and well,” dagdag pa niya.

Binigyang-diin ni Adiong na ang impeachment ay hindi lamang tungkol sa accountability kundi bahagi rin ng laban kontra sa kultura ng kawalang pananagutan.

“Iilan lang ang mga enumerated by the Constitution na mga impeachable officers. I guess apart from holding the principle of accountability to these public officials, it also carries with it our fight against the culture of impunity,” aniya.

“The reason why we’re holding these high officials accountable to their actions, because we do not want also the culture of impunity be the dominant rule of the day. So ‘yun ang issue doon,” dagdag ni Adiong.

Binalaan din niya na ang hindi pagsagot sa mga pahayag ni Duterte ay maaaring makasira sa mga institusyong itinatag para protektahan ang bansa.

“If we allow such remarks to go unchallenged, we do not only disregard this constitutional mandate given to us by the Constitution, given to the House of Representatives, but it also undermines constitutional mechanism. Isa ‘yan—ang impeachment process,” aniya.

Muling iginiit ni Adiong na natupad na ng Kamara ang tungkulin nito sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon.

“The framers of our Constitution—meron silang nilagay diyan sa sariling artikulo, Article XI—precisely because they think that the impeachment process, the impeachment mechanism, would actually stabilize our country,” ani Adiong.

“This is the way, this is the most legal and the most valid and the most legitimate way of holding those enumerated under the Constitution as impeachable officers accountable to their actions,” dagdag pa niya.