Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)

House Deputy Majority Leader and Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre clapped back on Thursday, May 9, against pro-Duterte radio host and blogger Mark Lopez over a statement he made regarding the alleged leaked documents from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

“Hindi ko sana papatulan, nabasa ko yung tweet eh, hindi ko sana papatulan. Anyway, ganito lang yun, siguro ang mas malaking tanong diyan, allegedly Morales did this in 2012, that’s more than 10 years, 12 years ago. So bakit lumalabas ito ngayon? Anong rason? Sino ang nagpapalaki?” Acidre said in a press briefing.

(I was planning not to engage with it, I read the tweet, I wouldn't have engaged with it. Anyway, maybe the bigger question is, allegedly Morales did this in 2012, that's more than 10 years, 12 years ago. So why is it coming out now? For what reason? Who is blowing it up?)

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Lopez lambasted Acidre over the latter’s remarks that the former PDEA official Jonathan Morales’ participation in a Senate inquiry could be part of an effort to discredit and destabilize the Marcos administration. 

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For House leader, Morales' participation in Senate inquiry reeks of destabilization

He called the congressman “so stupid” and “amazingly engot” for insinuating that Morales’ testimony would be used against President Marcos.

For his part, Acidre remains firm in his stance that the ongoing inquiry by the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs is a destabilization tactic.

“Ang imbestigasyon ay tungkol sa dokumentong nag-leak, bakit ang pinag-uusapan ang mga taong nasa dokumento? Bakit hindi natin pag-usapan bakit may isang na-dismissed na PDEA official who’s telling everybody that this document is his, when in fact the agency itself na nagsabi ay hindi nga,” noted Acidre.

(The investigation is about the leaked document, why are the people in the document being discussed? Why don't we talk about why there is a dismissed PDEA official who's telling everybody that this document is his, when in fact the agency itself said it's not.)

“Pero pinagpipilitan, binibigyan ng oras at panahon sa Senado kung saan mas maraming batas na nakabinbin. Mas malaking oras ang binibigay sa paghi-hearing sa usaping ito,” he added.

(But they insist on it, the Senate gives it time while a lot of legislation is pending. There’s more time given to the hearing on this matter.)

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa chairs the committee overseeing the inquiry. He is known as a close ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, a vocal critic of Marcos.

During a recent hearing, Morales presented supposedly authentic information that linked then-Senator Marcos and actress Maricel Soriano to illegal drug use.

However, PDEA itself has refuted the claims of Morales.

“[Allegedly] 12 years ago it happened and it’s only coming out now, and clearly the ones who are pushing for it are the ones calling for the President to resign and be removed from office so kayo na mag-connect the dots (you all can connect the dots),” Acidre said.

“Paulit-ulit nilang sinasabi yung isyu na to. Kung hindi nito kasama ang mas malawakang plano na pahinain kung hindi pabagsakin ang kasalukuyang administrasyon, ewan ko lang kung ano ang tawag natin dito,” the lawmaker continued.

(They keep repeating this issue over and over again. If this isn’t included in a broader plan to undermine if not topple the current administration, I don't know what we call it.)

“If this is not part of a destabilization plot, I really don’t know what to call it,” he stressed