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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Pakiusap lang': Ortega asks House crtics to refrain from making sweeping attacks

'Pakiusap lang': Ortega asks House crtics to refrain from making sweeping attacks

Published Aug 20, 2025 02:43 pm

At A Glance

  • Be clear and fair. Deputy Speaker La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V gave this message to critics of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Aug. 20 even as he slammed sweeping allegations of corruption against the 300-plus strong chamber.
La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V (PPAB)
La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V (PPAB)

Be clear and fair.
Deputy Speaker La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V gave this message to critics of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Aug. 20 even as he slammed sweeping allegations of corruption against the 300-plus strong chamber.
Ortega, a member of the House "Young Guns" bloc, underscored the importance of fairness and specificity when raising criticims against members of Congress.
“As fellow public servants, we share the responsibility of upholding accountability while protecting the integrity of our institutions. Ang pakiusap lang natin (Our simple request is)—let us be clear and fair, so that innocent members are not placed under suspicion,” Ortega said.
Whether fairlly or not, the House of Representatives has become a punching bag as of late on the issue of the national budget and flood control projects.
According to Ortega, any criticism should be substantiated by evidence and raised before the proper channels, and not presented in a way that would place the entire institution in a bad light.
“Reputation must be separated from proof. If there are issues, let them be addressed in the proper forum with names, facts, and documents. Huwag nating hayaang madamay ang buong institusyon dahil lamang sa malawak na pahayag (Let's not allow the entire institution to be dragged into the issue just because of a sweeping statement),” Ortega stressed.
The deputy speaker contended that lawmakers "serve their respective districts with honesty". Thus, they should not be made the subject of sweeping attacks.
"They should not be unjustly affected by generalized criticism. Fairness demands that we separate the actions of a few from the reputation of the whole,” he added.
Ortega concluded by reaffirming that the House remains firmly committed to transparency, accountability, and service to the Filipino people.
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