HOUSE Majority Leader Manuel Jose “Mannix” M. Dalipe on Thursday accused political allies of the Dutertes of attempting to weaponize the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) as retaliation against House members who voted to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte.
Dalipe made the accusation in reaction to the call of Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez, who served as Speaker during the Duterte administration, to suspend House leaders whom Alvarez and some allies have accused of falsification of public documents before the OMB in connection with the budget insertions/blanks issue.
The House leader said Alvarez’s suspension call “is a desperate attempt to weaponize the Ombudsman for political retaliation because the House remains steadfast in upholding transparency and accountability, regardless of political affiliations.”
However, Dalipe expressed confidence that the OMB would not allow itself to be used by Duterte allies.
“We trust that the Ombudsman will not allow itself to be used as a tool for political games and will dismiss this baseless request for preventive suspension. Speaker Romualdez and the House leadership will continue working for the people, unshaken by these desperate political maneuvers,” he said.
The House leader also labelled the Alvarez complaint and suspension call as a tactic to divert attention away from the impeachment of Vice President Duterte.
“Malinaw ang taktika nila: mag-file ng mga kaso para may balitang pantakip sa mga isyung hinaharap ng mga Duterte. Kahit walang kuwentang kaso, isasampa sa korte para ilihis ang isyu at palabasin na masama ang mga House Members na nag-impeach sa Vice President,” he said.
“Clearly, they are using this complaint as a diversionary tactic to shift public attention away from the real issue—the impeachment case against the Vice President and the accountability questions she must answer,” he said.
He questioned the timing of the actions of Alvarez and Duterte allies.
“The timing of this complaint is telling. It is meant to pressure the House and create a false narrative that undermines the integrity of its leadership. However, we will not be intimidated by these tactics. The House remains focused on serving the Filipino people, ensuring government funds are used properly, and holding public officials accountable, regardless of political connections,” he said.
Dalipe said the suspension proposal is also meant to disrupt the work of the House.
“The request for the Ombudsman to order the preventive suspension of House leaders is a blatant political maneuver aimed at disrupting the work of Congress. It is no coincidence that this comes at a time when discussions on the impeachment have gained traction,” he said.
Dalipe also defended the process of enacting the 2025 national budget.
“Let’s be clear: the General Appropriations Bill (GAB) is a product of rigorous, transparent, and lawful deliberations. The allegations of ‘insertions’ are misleading and baseless, designed to discredit Speaker Romualdez and the House leadership for purely political ends. If there are genuine concerns, they should be addressed within the proper legislative processes, not through political harassment,” Dalipe said.
About the Author
