HOUSE prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong on Sunday said Vice President Sara Z. Duterte should have exercised restraint instead of threatening President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., saying anger can never excuse a public official from meeting the Constitution’s higher standard of conduct.
“Dapat ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno meron po silang restraint. You have to have a sense, a level of restraint na maski ganun kalaki ang galit, puot or galit, hindi mo gagamitin ito para ikaw ay magbanta,” Alonto Adiong told veteran broadcaster Milky Rigonan’s Isyung Pambayan over dzRH in an interview.
“At hindi lang magbanta, i-explain na meron kang nakausap na hitman or mamamatay-tao para patayin ang Pangulo,” he added.
Duterte is facing an impeachment charge over her Nov. 23, 2024 online press briefing, where she said she had contracted someone to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then-Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez if she herself were killed.
During the impeachment trial, the defense argued that Duterte made the remarks in anger and while facing an alleged plot against her, invoking what it called “Oplan Romanov,” an alleged operation that supposedly placed the Vice President under threat.
The prosecution, however, has maintained that no evidence supporting the alleged plot has been presented before the Senate impeachment court.
Alonto Adiong rejected the defense’s argument that Duterte’s anger made her remarks acceptable.
“Hindi ho dapat natin gawing katanggap-tanggap o dahil lang ang Vice President, sabihin natin according to the defense ay galit, ay hindi ho natin gawing katanggap-tanggap ’yan at i-normalize,” he said.
He said Filipinos would never accept such language from family members, friends or co-workers, and should demand an even higher standard from elected leaders.
“Kung ayaw po nating marinig ang ganyang klaseng pananalita sa ating mga kaibigan, mga anak, kapamilya, katrabaho, dapat din na i-demand natin sa ating mga halal sa gobyerno na hindi sila nagsasalita at gumagawa ng mga pag-uugali na hindi po sang-ayon, hindi lang ho sa ating standard of morality as Filipinos but even against the Constitution,” Alonto Adiong said.
He said the impeachment trial is ultimately about defining the conduct expected from those entrusted with the nation’s highest offices.
“Is it a proper conduct for a public official, let alone the second-highest official of the land, to just simply make threats and then impose upon the people to accept it simply because she’s angry? Hindi po pwede ’yun,” Alonto Adiong said.
“Dapat mas mataas ang standard na dini-demand natin sa ating mga halal na namumuno sa atin,” he added.
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