WALANG anumang direktang kilos si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. na mag-uugnay sa kanya sa diumano’y flood control schemes na binanggit sa isang impeachment complaint, sinabi nitong Miyerkules ni San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria J. Zamora, vice chair ng House committee on justice.

Binigyang‑diin niya na ang mga akusasyon ay dapat base sa katotohanan o facts at hindi sa espekulasyon.

Sa pagdinig ng House committee on justice, iginiit ni Zamora na “for an impeachment complaint to be declared sufficient in substance, the recital of facts should constitute the impeachable offense charged.”

“We need to show the ultimate facts or the overt acts of the President in relation to the various schemes he allegedly perpetrated,” dagdag niya.

“To say that the Office of the President has become the command center of a criminal enterprise is not only unfounded but is also a mere dramatic rhetoric,” saad pa ni Zamora.

Tinukoy ni Zamora ang “three different schemes” na nakasaad sa ikalawang complaint – “institutionalizing systemic corruption through the BBM parametric formula, abuse of discretionary power as regards unprogrammed appropriations, and direct personal involvement in kickbacks.”

Sinabi niya na “these three, in fact, are interconnected” at “it is all about the flood control scheme.”

“I don’t want to belabor the point, Madam Chair. It is clear from the complaint that the President did not do any overt act that will show that he directed these three schemes,” ani Zamora.

“In the first place, it was not the President who created the BBM parametric formula of the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways),” giit ni Zamora.

“Having an imperfect policy direction is not an impeachable offense,” dagdag pa niya.

Tinuligsa rin niya ang pag-uugnay kay Pangulong Marcos sa korapsiyon batay sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema. Aniya, “that the Supreme Court struck down the provision relating to PhilHealth funds does not make the President primarily liable for such. The connection to corruption is highly speculative.”

Binanggit din ni Zamora na walang nakasaad sa mga rekord upang suportahan ang mga paratang ukol sa personal na pakikilahok umano ng Pangulo.

“Finally, that the President allegedly has a direct personal involvement is not clear from the allegations or born out from the records,” aniya at nagbabala sa paggamit ng mga hindi mapagkakatiwalaang materyal.

“We should not tolerate the use of hearsay allegations, videos that are not attested to, or fake news,” sinabi niya.

Binanggit din niya ang mga statement mula sa pagdinig. “The Honorable De Lima yesterday (Martes) repeatedly said that there should be a nexus between the specific acts and the impeachable offense charged, and I fully agree. Accusations are not factual allegations,” ani Zamora.

Ayon pa kay Zamora, karamihan sa mga nakasaad sa complaint ay batay sa haka-haka kaysa sa ebidensiya.

“A lot of what is written are mere speculations or conjectures arising from hearsay, and worse, even double hearsay testimonies, just to connect the President to the charges,” pahayag ni Zamora.