LANAO del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong on Monday rejected broad allegations that the House of Representatives is riddled with corruption and challenged Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to back up his claims with evidence.
“It is quite irresponsible and unfair to just brush the entire institution with a single stroke and to say that 90 percent of the members are corrupt. We should be judged based on our individual work,” Alonto Adiong said during a press briefing as he challenged Magalong to name names.
The spokesperson of the House prosecution panel in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte was reacting to Magalong’s recent assertion that around 90 percent of House members are corrupt, which the mayor attributed to what he described as a system that enables corruption.
He said the chamber’s more than 300 members should not be collectively branded based on generalized accusations, noting that lawmakers are individually accountable to the people who elected them.
While acknowledging Magalong’s advocacy against corruption, Alonto Adiong said allegations of wrongdoing should be supported by facts and directed at specific individuals.
“We understand that the mayor is an advocate against corruption, but as he himself, as an investigator, he knows that such accusations should be backed up by evidence,” Alonto Adiong said.
“If he has names, it’s better to name names rather than to attack the entire institution,” he said.
Alonto Adiong said the House welcomes efforts to promote accountability in government but stressed that accountability must be accompanied by due process.
“As public officers and public officials, we carry responsibility when we speak about certain matters, not only to give clarity to the public but also with precision,” he said.
“When I say precision, it has to also be backed up by evidence, solid evidence,” Alonto Adiong stressed.
The lawmaker added that serious accusations against individuals or institutions should be supported by concrete proof.
“Due process demands that any accusations made against anybody or any institution should be backed up by concrete evidence,” Adiong said.
He also pointed to congressional inquiries and committee hearings as examples of the House’s efforts to investigate allegations of wrongdoing and promote accountability in government.
“The House of Representatives has been standing on the principle of accountability,” he said.
“We’ve been doing a lot of work. We’ve been doing a lot of inquiries in order to sort out allegations of corruption,” Alonto Adiong.
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