Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Sandro Marcos (INQUIRER / LYN RILLON)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Despite vloggers spreading disinformation regarding the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos said they cannot be blamed as they serve a particular camp.
In an interview on Friday, copies of which were sent to reporters, Marcos maintained that no promise of funding allocations were made to lawmakers in exchange for supporting Duterte鈥檚 impeachment 鈥� noting that these are just fake news spread by the DDS or Diehard Duterte Supporters.
鈥淣o I think that鈥檚 just part of 鈥榶ong mga fake news ng mga DDS, parte po 鈥榶an ng smear campaign nila to discredit the movement,鈥� Marcos said.
(No I think that鈥檚 just part of the fake news of the DDS, it鈥檚 a part of the smear campaign just to discredit the movement.)
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 blame them eh, alam naman natin kung sino amo nila.聽 But no, there was nothing offered in exchange for the signatures,鈥� he added.
(You can鈥檛 blame them eh, we know who they serve.聽 But no, there was nothing offered in exchange for the signatures.)
According to Rep. Marcos, he was present when the fourth impeachment complaint was discussed by lawmakers during a caucus last Wednesday, hours before the House eventually impeached Duterte.
鈥淚 was there in the room.聽 Ang pinagusapan talaga ang (What we really talked about was the) articles of impeachment and then people were given the choice to sign or not,鈥� he explained.
鈥淏ut whether there was any exchange or any monetary offer or any sinasabi nila may AKAP (Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Progra) or AICS (Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations) na kapalit, walang ganun na ibinigay,鈥� he added.
(But whether there was any exchange or any monetary offer or any pledge, like the say that AKAP or AICS was given in exchange, nothing of that sort was given.)
Rep. Marcos鈥� statements were similar to what different lawmakers from the majority and the minority previously said, debunking claims that money was promised to those who would support Duterte鈥檚 impeachment.聽聽
On Thursday, 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez 鈥� a member of the prosecution panel 鈥� said no such thing happened, adding that they expect a lot of misinformation and disinformation to go around with Duterte鈥檚 impeachment.
Earlier that day, Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro also debunked claims that lawmakers were forced or coerced into signing the fourth impeachment complaint, when House members met for hours before the raps were forwarded to the Senate on Wednesday.
Cagayan de Oro 1st District Rep. Lordan Suan on Thursday also disowned a post claiming that ayuda or social aid would be given to his constituents after Duterte was impeached.
Suan said that while he was in favor of impeaching Duterte, it was not a personal attack.
Pro-Duterte social media personalities like Mark Anthony Lopez posted on his Facebook page that lawmakers who backed the impeachment complaint would allegedly receive P25 million for the Ayuda sa Kapos ang Kita Program, another P25 million for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations, and P100 million for infrastructure projects.
A total of 215 lawmakers signed the fourth impeachment complaint, allowing the same-day transmittal of the articles to the Senate.
Under the 1987 Constitution, an impeachment complaint could be immediately forwarded to the Senate for a trial if over one-third of all House members 鈥� 102 out of 306 鈥斅� have signed and endorsed the petition.