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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Walang konek': Adiong says Imee Marcos should know better than to link 2026 budget to impeachment

'Walang konek': Adiong says Imee Marcos should know better than to link 2026 budget to impeachment

Published Jan 8, 2026 09:09 pm

At A Glance

  • House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong slammed what he described as Senator Imee Marcos' "fictional interpretation" of the newly-signed 2026 national budget as an alleged tool for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment.
Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (left), Senator Imee Marcos (Facebook)
Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong (left), Senator Imee Marcos (Facebook)


House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong slammed what he described as Senator Imee Marcos' "fictional interpretation" of the newly-signed 2026 national budget as an alleged tool for Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment.
Adiong, in a statement Thursday, Jan. 8, said the lady senator should know better, since she was among those handpicked to take part in last month's Bicameral Conference Committee (bicam) on P6.793-trillion General Appropriations Bill (GAB).
"With all due respect to the Senator Marcos--our work in the House of Representatives do not revolve around one person, especially not the Vice President," Adiong said.
"Kung ganun po siya as a senator, hindi po kami ganun magtrabaho (If that's how she works as a senator, then that's not the case with us)," said the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) stalwart.
"Napaka-fictional naman ang ganoon interpretasyon dahil hindi magkaduktong ang budget sa impeachment. At bilang member ng bicam, alam po ni Senator Imee yan (That kind of interpretation is very fictional because the budget is not connected to the impeachment. And as a member of the bicam, Senator Imee knows that)," he noted.
"At alam din ng taong bayan yan dahil nanonood sila sa livestreamng budget process simula committee deliberation hanggang bicameral conference (And the people also know that because they watch the livestream of the budget process from the committee deliberation up to the bicameral conference)."
Earlier, Senator Marcos, an ally of the Vice President, was quoted as saying: ""Ginigiling [ang budget] para pagulungin ang impeachment ni Inday [Sara] (The budget is being chopped up to move Inday Sara's impeachment forward),"
Duterte made history last year when she became the first ever Vice President to get impeached by the House of Representatives. The complaint--adopted in plenary on Feb. 5, 2025--contained seven articles of impeachment.
"Kung pag-uusapan natin yung dating articles of impeachment, seryoso lahat iyon, culpable violation of the Constitution, malinaw na malinaw ang pagkakasulat (If we talk about the previous articles of impeachment, all of those were serious—culpable violations of the Constitution, very clearly written)," Adiong said.
The six major allegations contained in the seven articles of impeachment against the Vice President are conspiracy to assassinate President Marcos; malversation of P612.5 million in confidential funds; bribery and corruption in Department of Education (DepEd); unexplained wealth and failure to disclose assets; involvement in extrajudicial killings (Davao Death Squad); and destabilization, insurrection, and public disorder.
The 33-page complaint ended up getting struck down by the Supreme Court (SC), but only due to a technicality. The Senate never held an impeachment trial to test the merits of allegations.
Adiong further said that the 2026 budget wasn't meant to facilitate the Vice President's impeachment this year.
"We advocate for our constituencies--ang ating mga kababayan (this is for our countrymen). Mahalaga po ang mga programang ito para sa ating mga mahihirap na kababayan (These programs in the budget are important for our poor countrymen).
"Should there be a new impeachment complaint against the Vice President just like before... tungkol po ito sa merit ng articles of impeachment (it will be about the merit of the articles of impeachment)," he said.
A fresh impeachment complaint can be filed against Vice President Duterte at the House beginning Feb. 6.
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