Political survival? Adiong would rather seek accountability from VP Duterte

Manila Bulletin

Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong would rather do what he believes is right than ensure his own political survival.  This can be gleaned from Adiong's statements during a press conference Thursday, Feb. 6, a day after he joined 214 other House members in singing an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. (Video courtesy of House of Representatives)  READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/7/adiong-would-rather-seek-accountability-from-vp-duterte  Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5664f6TkaeHgwBly50DWZQ/join  Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin  Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@manilabulletin  #ManilaBulletinOnline #ManilaBulletin #LatestNews

Transcript

00:00Once you're elected to an office, you are expected, not only by the Constitution, by the people, to act in a certain ways.

00:12You have to maintain and uphold the integrity of your office.

00:17And similarly, we expect our fellow public servants to do the same.

00:21In this impeachment case, as Mr. Bosnoi said earlier, there are serious offenses, high crimes committed by the Vice President.

00:36So we cannot turn a blind eye and be more concerned about the possible backlash that it may cause us politically.

00:46Of course, that's a consideration. Who wouldn't think of that?

00:51But this is already an issue of being a public servant.

00:57Being a politician is just a secondary line.

01:00Of course, it's a value judgment call, as Mr. Bosnoi said.

01:04How will you face yourself in front of people who you say are prohibited from threatening other people?

01:15Much more than a sitting president.

01:18How will you face yourself and say that there should be no corruption in the country?

01:24How will you face yourself when you are prohibited from bribing, like our government, because we just want to get our desired results?

01:36How will we face ourselves, our fellow citizens?

01:41How will you face yourself when you say that a mandated agency will give and audit,

01:48and then a constitutional agency will give a mandate to take it and examine how the people were spent?

01:58How will you uphold that?

02:03How will we face that?

02:06I'm not speaking for the entire membership of the House.

02:08How will I face myself in front of my voters if I turn a blind eye

02:14and just simply concern myself with the possible popularity that I may get once I associate myself with who is popular

02:25and who has the tendency or the capacity to give me votes in the election?

02:31Isn't it better in a public service that for the three years being a congressman elected in that office,

02:41you swore in the League of Laws in front of people and in front of God

02:45that these ethics that a public service should follow,

02:55you will just ignore them just because you are more concerned of the popularity that you may get or the votes that you may get?

03:04How will I face myself in front of my voters if I turn a blind eye on these high crimes that were committed blatantly under the sun?

03:19So much blatantly that we cannot even ignore to a point that I can no longer turn a blind eye on these allegations

03:30and just simply brush it off simply because I am from Mindanao.

03:33I think it's time for us to be more circumspect in really trying to approach the issue

03:43when it comes to a certain area that we can say that this cannot be done by a public

03:52that our basis should be our being Filipino rather than our being regionalistic.

03:59I think it's high time that we should approach the issue based on our being patriotic

04:04as not just as a public servant but as a Filipino because we are all of us are expected to uphold the Constitution

04:12and it's our civic duty to promote decency in public office.

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