The plenary deliberations of the 20th Congress's 1st Regular Session on the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte saw Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda-Leviste pressing questions on accountability, transparency, and alleged selective justice within government processes.
During interpellation, Leviste asked, “Madam, is selective justice justice or injustice?” to which House Justice Committee and Batangas 2nd District Representative Rep. Gerville Luistro responded, “We are not abiding with selective injustice in as much as we do not abide in selective accountability.”
Leviste followed up, stressing, “So selective justice is injustice, therefore if we hold some to account, we should hold all to account.” Luistro agreed in principle but clarified that accountability mechanisms must follow proper legal processes depending on whether officials are impeachable or not.
When Leviste asked if she supported the resumption of flood control investigations, Luistro replied, “For impeachable official, we follow the rules of impeachment… there is proper forum, there is proper rules that apply to every remedy that is given to the Filipino people.” She added that matters outside the impeachment resolution must be addressed in the appropriate venue.
Deputy Majority Speaker Rep. Lorenz Defensor intervened, reminding Leviste to stay within the scope of the impeachment deliberations, stating, “May I request the gentleman from Batangas not to stray from our deliberations involving the Resolution.”
Leviste later shifted to concerns over transparency, asking, “Do you support transparency in the use of public funds?” Luistro replied, “Definitely, Mr. Speaker.”
The exchange intensified when Leviste raised allegations of additional Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) incentives given to lawmakers, stating, “Some members of Congress got 2 million pesos on March 18… and those who do not support the impeachment did not get this extra MOOE.”
Luistro denied the claim, saying, “I deny the allegation… and the statement is no longer relevant to the subject matter of this impeachment.”
Leviste further questioned whether lawmakers voting against impeachment would lose benefits, which was also categorically denied by the Majority leadership, stating there is no such policy.
Before concluding his interpellation, Leviste called for greater fiscal transparency, urging the release of budget data: “No one should lose their benefits for their vote today… I would like to ask if the House Committee on Accounts and the DBM can release all data on budgetary releases so we can ascertain the truth.”
House officials reiterated that all votes and proceedings are conducted independently of financial considerations, amid continued deliberations on the impeachment articles.
