MANILA - House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has accused Vice President Leni Robredo of having "direct involvement" in the impeachment complaint against President Rodrigo Duterte.
“Definitely yes. Sino pa ang magbe-benefit diyan (Who else would benefit)?” Alvarez said, when asked about Robredo in a television interview.
“Definitely yes. Sino pa ang magbe-benefit diyan (Who else would benefit)?” Alvarez said, when asked about Robredo in a television interview.
Alvarez added that the filing of the complaint came after Robredo's video message to the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs, where she criticized the government's war on drugs.
“Maliwanag na maliwanag po. Nakita naman natin na kahit sa United Nations ay nagpadala pa siya ng tape, na sinasabi niya na yung mga reklamo dito sa Pilipinas daw,” Alvarez said.
(It was very clear. We saw that she even sent a tape to the United Nations on complaints here in the Philippines.)
(It was very clear. We saw that she even sent a tape to the United Nations on complaints here in the Philippines.)
But Robredo's camp dismissed Alvarez's allegations.
"Tungkol po doon sa paratang kay VP Leni, alam naman po ni VP Leni at alam ng karamihan wala itong katotohanan," Georgina Hernandez, spokesperson of Robredo, said in a television interview Friday.
(Regarding the allegation against VP Leni, we know and a lot of people know as well that this was not true.)
Alvarez claimed Robredo was "likely worried" that a recount of votes during the vice presidential elections last May would reveal that she lost the polls.
“Malamang natatakot siya na kapag binilang yung resulta noong eleksyon ay talagang hindi aabot dahil alam naman niya na hindi
totoong talagang nanalo siya,” Alvarez said.
totoong talagang nanalo siya,” Alvarez said.
(She may be scared that if we recount the votes last election, it will not reach the needed number of votes for her to win...and she knows she is not the real winner.)
Robredo is facing an election protest filed by losing vice presidential candidate and former senator Bongbong Marcos before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.
Duterte previously cleared Robredo in the alleged destabilization plots against him but Alvarez said he has a different view.
"Yun po ang pananaw ng ating Pangulo, ngayon ang aking pananaw ay iba naman," Alvarez said.
(That is the opinion of the President. I have a different view.)
Hernandez said even the complainant against Duterte, Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano, cleared Robredo of links to the complaint.
"Mismo po iyong nagfile ng impeachment, mismong si Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano, ang nagsabi na tanging ang Magdalo group lamang ang nasa likod ng impeachment na ito at malinaw na sinasabi niyang walang kinalaman si VP Leni dito sa inihaing impeachment," Hernandez said.
(Even Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano who filed the impeachment complaint said that only the Magdalo party list is behind the complaint and it is clear that he is saying that VP Leni has not hing to do with the impeachment complaint.)
She added that Robredo has not seen the impeachment complaint yet and has no plans yet of responding to Alvarez's allegations
"Wala pong kinalaman si VP dito at sa totoo lang hindi pa ho niya talaga nakikita itong complaint kung ano itong complaint na pinaguusapan at sa tingin niya hindi naman nararapat na makialam siya sa isyung ito," she said.
(The vice president has nothing to do with this and to be honest, she has not seen the complaint that is being discussed and she thinks that she should not get involved with this issue.)