Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

Ranking congressmen are prodding Vice President Sara Duterte to name her supposed "close friends" in the House of Representatives who have been telling her that the chamber is plotting to impeach her. 

House Deputy Majority Leader Iloilo 1st district Rep. Janette Garin; Assistant Majority Leaders Lanao del Sur 1st diistrict Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V; and Assistant Minority Leader 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez all denied the existence of such a plan to unseat the Vice President during a press conference Wednesday, Aug. 11. 

But to put the impeachment claims to rest, Vice President Duterte must identify who her sources of information are. 

“Kung sino man ‘yung nag-iintriga, eh sana sabihin kung sino sila para malaman natin kung ito ba ay may vested interest, o tila nililinlang ang Bise Presidente, o ito ba ay gusto lang ng fireworks dahil walang magawa sa buhay,” Garin said. 

(She should identify whoever are making these intrigues so that we'll know if they have vested interests, or just deceiving the Vice President, or if they just want fireworks because they are bored.) 

Ortega made a similar appeal to the second-highest ranked official of the land. 

"Siguro, i-identify nalang niya ‘yung mga friends niya na nagsabi para ‘yung mga friends niya ang magsabi kung tama po ‘yung mga nakukuha nilang impormasyon mula sa grapevine. Dito po sa House of Representatives, wala namang napag-uusapan,” he said. 

(Maybe she should just identity the friends who told her, so that they can say for themselves whether or not the information they got from the grapevine is correct. But here in the House of Representatives, there are no discussions of an impeachment.) 

Adiong called for an end to the impeachment rumors, and noted that the leadership of House Speaker Martin Romualdez was focused on advancing the nation's interests and promoting unity. 

“Kami po dito sa House of Representatives...every day po, every session week, every committee hearings, public hearings, nandirito po kami. And I personally can categorically say na wala pong usapin non," Adiong said. 

(Here in the House of Representatives...every day, every session week, every committee hearings, public hearings, we are here. And I personally can categorically say that there are no such talks.) 

Between the ongoing House budget deliberations, various committee hearings, and coordination with government agencies in connection with the Bagong Pilipinas Serbisyo Fair (BPSF), Gutierrez said the congressmen are simply "too busy" to engage in impeachment talk.

"I’m not sure po kung saan nanggagaling ‘yung allegation of impeachment...If they could perhaps, katulad ni Cong. Ortega (like what Cong. Ortega said), if they could substantiate the claims and say, sino bang nagsasabi nito (who are saying these things) and point at certain persons, then perhaps that would be more helpful for us to really thresh out," he said.