DEPUTY Speaker Jay Khonghun of Zambales on Wednesday turned the tables on members of the Senate following the dramatic ouster of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, saying that by the standards and accusations now being casually thrown against the House of Representatives, the public also has every right to ask difficult questions about what transpired in the upper chamber.
“Kung susundin natin ang lohika ni Sen. Imee Marcos — na kapag bumoto ang isang mambabatas, ibig sabihin ay may kapalit na pera, proyekto, o pabor — then the same question must now be asked about the sudden coup in the Senate,” Khonghun said.
“How much did senators allegedly receive to remove Senate President Tito Sotto? What promises were made? What concessions were given? What projects were offered? Sino ang makikinabang?” Khonghun added.
Khonghun said he was not making an accusation, but exposing the dangerous and irresponsible logic being used to attack House members over their constitutional actions.
“Napakadaling magbato ng akusasyon kapag walang ebidensya ang kailangan. Kapag ang batayan na lang ay hinala, intriga, at conspiracy theory, then no democratic institution will survive,” Khonghun lamented.
The House leader said senators and political personalities cannot recklessly accuse congressmen of being bribed for impeachment votes while expecting the public to treat political upheavals in the Senate differently.
“You cannot poison public discourse by normalizing baseless allegations against House members, then suddenly demand sobriety and restraint when political realignments happen inside the Senate,” Khonghun said.
He added that members of the House voted according to what they believed was their constitutional duty after months of hearings, sworn testimony, official documents, and committee proceedings.
“The vote in the House was not a karaoke contest, not a popularity survey, and certainly not an auction,” he said.
Khonghun warned that the continued spread of unsupported bribery narratives weakens democratic institutions and destroys public trust in elections and governance.
“Kapag bawat boto ng halal na opisyal ay inaakusahan agad na bayaran, ang tunay na sinisira ay demokrasya mismo. Ang mensahe sa taumbayan: wala nang prinsipyo, wala nang proseso, pera-pera na lang lahat. That is a reckless and cynical way to destroy institutions,” Khonghun said.
He said political leaders should be more responsible with their words, especially at a time when the country is already deeply polarized.
“At the end of the day, accusations are easy. Evidence is hard. And in a democracy governed by law, evidence — not insinuation — must always prevail,” Khonghun said.
