A big political fight is happening in the Philippines, and it’s getting really intense! Some allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte are trying to suspend important leaders in the House of Representatives. But one lawmaker says this is just a trick to take people’s attention away from a bigger issue—the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
A Sudden Move That Raises Questions
House Majority Leader Mannix Dalipe, a congressman from Zamboanga City, says this suspension request is happening at a very “interesting” time. According to him, it’s no coincidence that Duterte’s allies are pushing for this just as Congress is talking about the Vice President’s impeachment.
He believes this is a plan to pressure the House of Representatives and make it look bad. Dalipe even called it a “political maneuver”—a sneaky way to distract the public and weaken the House’s leadership.
“This is all a trick to make people forget about the real issue,” Dalipe said. “They want to use this complaint to create confusion and make it seem like the House leaders are the bad guys.”
What Is This Complaint About?
The complaint was filed by Davao del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez and three others. They went to the Office of the Ombudsman (a government office that investigates officials) and asked them to suspend Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and other House leaders.
Why? They claim that these leaders changed the National Budget law in a sneaky way. They say there were missing details in the final report of the budget, and later, ₱241 billion was added. This made them think that something corrupt was going on.
Why Is This a Big Deal?
The House of Representatives recently impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on February 5. This means they formally accused her of doing wrong things, including:
- Misusing public money
- Breaking the Constitution
- Threatening the President and his family
- Being involved in killings in Davao City
Dalipe insists that everything the House has done—including the impeachment and the budget process—was done fairly and transparently. He says the accusations against House leaders are false and meant to make them look bad.
“Their plan is clear: even if their complaint is weak, they will file it in court just to confuse people and make us look like the villains,” Dalipe explained.
House Leaders Won’t Back Down
Dalipe says the House of Representatives won’t be intimidated by these tactics. He believes the Ombudsman should see through the trick and reject the request for suspension.
“If there are real concerns, they should be solved properly in Congress, not through political games,” he said.
Meanwhile, GMA News Online has asked Alvarez for a response to Dalipe’s comments, but he has not replied yet.
As for Vice President Sara Duterte, she says she’s ready to face the impeachment complaints. She believes this is her chance to clear her name and prove her innocence.
This political battle is far from over, and the country is watching closely to see what happens next.
