Daven Tamayo

'Bumaha ng pera?' Impeach prosecutors deny bribes to sign complaint vs VP Sara Duterte

Article (news)

David Dizon

ABS-CBN News

<p>Two lawmakers tapped as prosecutors for the possible impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte denied Friday that hundreds of congressmen received a “flood of bribes” to sign the impeachment complaint.</p><p>“Hindi toto ‘yan,” Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Lorenz Defensor said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview, adding there is enough evidence to impeach Duterte for betrayal of public trust and other crimes including threatening to kill the President, the First Lady and Speaker Martin Romualdez.</p><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZLcjP5LBRcw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/6/5-things-to-know-about-vice-president-sara-duterte-and-her-impeachment-1215">5 things to know about Vice President Sara Duterte and her impeachment</a></div><p>Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Jil Bongalon noted lawmakers realized “there were violations” after investigating the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Office of the Vice-President and Department of Education last year.</p><p>Rumors that lawmakers were given millions of pesos in bribes is “disinformation and misinformation” bring used to discredit and dispel “the overwhelming support for the impeachment of the Vice-President”, he said.</p><p>“They are just to create this impression na bumaha ng pera, which is wala naman katotohanan. Siguro hindi nila matanggap na 215 members and even more expressed support against the Vice-President,” he said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.</p><p>The prosecutors said the impeachment trial should still continue even if 12 new senators are elected in the May midterm polls, noting that the new batch of senators can review the transcripts to reach a fair judgment.</p><p>Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives on Wednesday for &quot;violation of the constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes&quot;. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/5/house-impeaches-vp-sara-duterte-1551">House impeaches VP Sara Duterte</a></div><p>The Senate must convene a tribunal to try the vice president. If convicted, she will be removed from her post and barred from public office.</p>

<p>Two lawmakers tapped as prosecutors for the possible impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte denied Friday that hundreds of congressmen received a “flood of bribes” to sign the impeachment complaint.</p>

Two lawmakers tapped as prosecutors for the possible impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte denied Friday that hundreds of congressmen received a “flood of bribes” to sign the impeachment complaint.