HOUSE Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chair Jude A. Acidre on Saturday accused Sen. Imee Marcos of resorting to “diversionary tactics” after the senator claimed that members of the House of Representatives were allegedly being offered cash, monthly maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) increases, and project allocations in exchange for voting to impeach Vice President Sara Z. Duterte.
Acidre said the allegation was “grave, reckless, and impossible to take seriously without evidence,” adding that the accusation appears aimed at diverting public attention from the evidence already laid out in the impeachment proceedings.
“Kung may ebidensiya si Senadora Imee, ilabas niya ang resibo. Pangalanan niya ang tumanggap, pangalanan niya ang nag-alok, at magsampa siya ng kaso. Kung wala, tigilan niya ang diversion at paninira sa buong Kamara,” Acidre said.
He said a sitting senator should exercise restraint and respect toward a coequal chamber of Congress instead of throwing out allegations unsupported by proof.
“Senadora siya. Dapat alam niya ang bigat ng ganitong paratang. Ang Senado at Kamara ay kapwa sangay ng Kongreso. Ang respeto sa coequal chamber ay hindi dapat optional, lalo na kung wala ka namang hawak na patunay,” Acidre said.
Acidre said the timing of the allegation was revealing, coming as the House prepares for plenary action on four Articles of Impeachment backed by hearings, documentary submissions, and sworn testimonies involving allegations of misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats.
Under the Constitution, at least 106 votes, or one-third of the 318-member House, are needed to transmit the impeachment complaint to the Senate for trial.
Acidre said attempts to shift the public conversation toward alleged payoff stories only distract from the substantive allegations already on record.
“Hindi puwedeng maghagis ka ng P5 million, P3 million kada buwan, at P150 million na projects tapos bahala na ang publiko sa tsismis. Hindi tsismis ang batayan ng boto sa impeachment. Ebidensiya,” Acidre said.
“Ang dapat pag-usapan ngayon ay P612.5 million na confidential funds, P6.77 billion na money trail, cash envelopes sa DepEd, at mga bantang umabot sa assassination plot. Iyan ang nasa rekord. Iyan ang dapat sagutin. Hindi iyong gagawa ka ng diversion para mailihis ang usapan sa tunay na isyu,” Acidre added.
For Acidre, the suggestion that House support is being bought insults lawmakers who sat through the hearings and examined the evidence.
“Ang totoo, hindi pera ang nagpalaki ng bilang ng sumusuporta. Ang suporta sa impeachment ay resulta ng hearing after hearing, document after document, record after record na masusing siniyasat ng mga miyembro ng Kamara. Habang lumilinaw ang ebidensiya, mas dumadami ang kumbinsido,” he said.
House leaders have previously projected support well beyond the 106-vote threshold, with estimates ranging from 180 to as high as 230 lawmakers as more members reviewed the articles and annexes.
Acidre said lawmakers supporting impeachment were persuaded by the evidence presented during the proceedings, not by political inducements.
“Kung gusto nilang kontrahin ang boto, kontrahin nila ang ebidensiya. Huwag silang gumawa ng diversionary fairy tale tungkol sa buyout dahil wala silang masagot sa Articles I to IV,” Acidre said.
He said allegations as serious as bribery and vote-buying should either be substantiated or withdrawn.
“Show proof or stop the diversion. Ganoon lang kasimple. Dahil kung wala kang maipakitang ebidensiya, hindi expose ang tawag diyan. Paninira ang tawag diyan,” Acidre said.
The Tingog lawmaker said the House would vote based on the constitutional record established during public proceedings, not on rumor or political theater.
“Kung may ebidensiya, ilabas. Kung may kaso, isampa. Pero kung puro diversion at paratang lang para ilihis ang usapan, hindi kami uurong. Ang Kamara ay boboto batay sa rekord, hindi sa tsismis,” Acidre said.
