Photo credit: Paolo Ortega

House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V on Thursday accused the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee of using its ongoing flood control probe to discredit members of the House of Representatives and weaken the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte even before the trial begins.

In a statement, the La Union lawmaker said recent developments in the Senate suggest that the investigation is being used as a political tool against House officials involved in the impeachment proceedings rather than as a genuine effort to uncover irregularities in flood control projects.

“What we are witnessing is an obvious attempt to discredit the House of Representatives as an institution and undermine the credibility of those tasked by the Constitution to prosecute the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte,” Ortega said.

His remarks came after senators allied with then-Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano proceeded with a Blue Ribbon Committee hearing despite questions surrounding the committee’s authority following leadership changes in the Senate and the reorganization of committee assignments under Acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.

According to Ortega, a pattern has emerged in recent hearings, with House lawmakers who supported Duterte’s impeachment being linked to corruption allegations despite what he described as a lack of concrete evidence.

Among those named during the proceedings were members of the House prosecution panel, including Reps. Gerville Luistro, Joel Chua, Leila de Lima, Terry Ridon, and House impeachment spokesperson Zia Alonto Adiong.

“Among those singled out and accused are House prosecutors Rep. Gerville Luistro, Rep. Joel Chua, Rep. Leila de Lima, and Rep. Terry Ridon, as well as House impeachment spokesperson Rep. Zia Alonto-Adiong. Other House leaders and members identified with the impeachment proceedings have likewise been dragged into the narrative,” Ortega said.

The deputy speaker argued that the timing of the allegations raises concerns, noting that the impeachment court has yet to formally begin hearing the case against the Vice President.

“Before the impeachment court can even convene, before a single witness can testify, and before a single piece of evidence can be formally presented, an effort is already underway to poison public perception against the House and the officials who will participate in the impeachment process,” he said.

“Hindi pa nagsisimula ang paglilitis, pero tila may hatol na agad laban sa mga mag-uusig. Kapag hindi kayang sagutin ang ebidensya, sisiraan na lamang ang mga maghahain nito,” he added.

Ortega maintained that the House merely fulfilled its constitutional responsibility when it processed impeachment complaints filed against Duterte. He noted that the complaints were reviewed by the House Committee on Justice, which found probable cause before the chamber approved the Articles of Impeachment and selected prosecutors for the case.

“The House of Representatives exercised a constitutional duty when it approved the Articles of Impeachment. The House prosecutors are performing a constitutional duty when they prepare to present the case before the Senate impeachment court,” he said.

“To attack the prosecutors before trial is to attack the impeachment process itself.”

The lawmaker also expressed concern over the broader situation in the Senate, saying leadership disputes have delayed discussions on key national issues and stalled legislative priorities.

He warned that attempts to discredit House prosecutors before they can present evidence threaten the public’s right to hear the facts surrounding the impeachment case.

“To discredit the messengers before they can present the evidence is to undermine the people’s right to hear the evidence,” Ortega said.

He also questioned why lawmakers involved in the impeachment proceedings are now being named in a hearing supposedly focused on flood control projects.

“Is this an honest search for truth—or an effort to punish those who exercised their constitutional duty by holding the Vice President accountable? Is this an attempt to weaken, intimidate, or discredit the House prosecutors before they can present their case before the impeachment court?” he asked.

According to Ortega, these are questions the public should consider in determining whether the hearing is a legitimate investigation or a politically motivated effort to influence the impeachment process.

He further alleged that the strategy mirrors tactics often used to shift attention away from substantive issues by attacking critics and institutions.

“Kung hindi mapigilan ang impeachment, pahinain ang mga mag-uusig. Kung hindi masagot ang ebidensya, ilihis ang usapan. Kung hindi kayang depensahan ang akusado, unahin na lamang siraan ang mga taga-usig,” Ortega added.

Despite the controversy, Ortega said the House prosecution panel remains focused on preparing its case and presenting documentary evidence and sworn testimonies before the Senate impeachment court.

“The real issue remains the same: the serious allegations contained in the Articles of Impeachment and the evidence supporting them. No amount of political theater can change that. No amount of character assassination can erase documentary evidence,” he said.

“And no amount of diversion can prevent the truth from emerging in the proper constitutional forum,” he added.

Ortega also stressed that the House will not be distracted by the allegations being raised against its members and remains committed to seeing the impeachment process through.

“The House of Representatives will not be intimidated. The House prosecutors will not be distracted. And the constitutional process must not be derailed by a campaign designed to influence the outcome of an impeachment trial before it even begins,” he stressed.

“The Filipino people deserve a fair impeachment trial based on facts, documents, sworn testimony, and evidence—not a political operation intended to save Vice President Sara Duterte before the Senate impeachment court can even hear the case,” Ortega added.