HOUSE Deputy Speaker Albee Benitez of Bacolod City has said members of Congress should not use privilege speeches to air personal grievances against other public officials or make baseless accusations against anyone in government.
“I don’t really subscribe to the idea of using the platform to be able to hit any person in government or any agency in government. We have so much problems. We want to be able to move forward and find the right solutions,” he said in an interview with Bilyonaryo News Channel’s “On Point” on Thursday.
Benitez’s statement comes after Batangas Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste delivered a privilege speech on Tuesday, accusing Executive Secretary Ralph Recto of allegedly receiving millions in contractor money from infrastructure projects. He said this was linked to supposed ties with CWS Party-list Rep. Edwin Gardiola and was used to fund the campaigns of Recto and his wife, Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto.
Leviste also claimed that all members of Congress were involved in vote-buying during the 2025 elections, which he later withdrew to clarify that only certain individuals had committed the election offense.
Benitez said he disagrees with Leviste’s use of the House plenary to air unsubstantiated accusations and focus on political issues, noting that the country is facing several pressing concerns. He added that such incidents, where politics dominates legislative time and discourse, can hamper national development and progress.
“Too much politics is governing our institutions. We want less of that. Again, one of those that derail our development and our mobility to progress is we love politics too much,” he said.
The deputy speaker stressed that lawmakers should treat plenary sessions as a venue for productive debate that contributes to national development, such as building measures to help the Philippines stay competitive in the region, instead of wasting time and resources on political issues alone.
“We should make it more as a constructive platform for us to be able to move this country towards a progressive state where we’ve been left behind by our Asian counterparts. That’s not because we don’t have the resources or the assets to do that,” Benitez said.
“It’s really us shooting ourselves in the foot,” he added.
If lawmakers like Leviste want change, Benitez said reform should begin with themselves. “Gusto mo ng pagbabago? It has to start with us,” he said.
Other House leaders earlier this week criticized Leviste for what they called unparliamentary behavior during his privilege speech, after he made what they described as reckless, offensive, and sweeping accusations against fellow lawmakers.
Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union and Deputy Speaker Jay Khonghun of Zambales said privilege speeches are meant for responsible speech grounded in truth, not rumors and unverified claims. Even in disagreements, Ortega said, Congress should raise concerns with respect, discipline, and fairness toward colleagues.
The House granted the motion to strike portions of Leviste’s speech, considering he raised allegations on the plenary floor without supporting documents, sworn statements, or any formal complaint filed before the proper forum to substantiate his claims.
In response to Leviste’s speech, all other lawmakers representing districts in Batangas filed House Resolution No. 994 condemning his allegations against Recto and his wife. They said that while members of Congress are protected by parliamentary freedom of speech and debate, such privilege does not cover speculation and insinuations.
The resolution was authored by Reps. Ryan Recto, Amado Bolilia IV, King Collantes, Beverly Cimacuha, and Gerville Luistro.
