The demolition job against Senate leaders had been happening since the House of Representatives failed to pursue the People’s Initiative, Sen. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said on Tuesday, August 12.

Ejercito pointed this out after reports linking Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero to alleged dubious government contracts surfaced.

Escudero, during a press conference earlier, denied any role in the P5.16 billion worth of flood control projects awarded to his top campaign donor.

The Senate leader called the report linking him to the contracts a "malicious" smear job aimed at unseating him before a possible impeachment case is filed anew in February. But he confirmed that the campaign donor, Lawrence Lubiano—president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc.—was indeed his biggest campaign backer.

Escudero attributed the attacks against him to the Senate impeachment court’s decision to remand the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte back to the House of Representatives and eventually, voting to archive the impeachment complaint in compliance with the Supreme Court’s ruling.

“Nagsimula yan di lang kay Senate President Chiz; sabi ko nga sa inyo, pati kay SP Migz (Zubiri) nuon pa (It didn’t just start with Senate President Chiz Escudero; I’ve said before, it happened even to then Senate president Juan Miguel Zubiri before),” Ejercito affirmed during a Kapihan sa Senado forum.

“Nagsimula sa People’s Initiative yan parang nag tuloy-tuloy na yung bangayan ng House at ng Senado. Di na natapos (It seems that the conflict between the House and the Senate, which started with the People's Initiative, has continued. It has not ended),” he said.

The Senate, during Zubiri’s leadership, opposed the House’s move to pursue changes to the 1987 Constitution through a People’s Initiative and also voiced disapproval through a manifesto signed by all 24 senators.

“Nakakalungkot dito yung parliamentary courtesy nawala na (It's sad there is no more parliamentary courtesy),” he further said.

Ejercito noted the House would host press conferences where they would attack the Senate.

“Magpe-presscon sila dun tas aatakehin ang Senado (they would hold press conference then attack the Senate), which is very unparliamentary),” he lamented.

“Pano tayo magtutulungan kung ganun ang kanilang actuations (How can we help each other if that’s their actuations),” he said.

Ejercito warned that the country’s economic progress will stop and the Philippines won’t be able to compete on an international level in the long run if the political turmoil does not subside.

“When you see the top two leaders of the country not really united anymore, and then both houses of Congress eh hindi rin magkasundo, nagbabangayan (are in disagreement, wrangling) that doesn’t really give a good signal for potential investors,” the deputy majority leader pointed out.

“Just look at Vietnam, we have been left behind in terms of foreign direct investments (FDIs). Parang wala pa tayo sa kalahati nila (It's like we're not even halfway there yet),” he lamented.