CEBU CITY – “FLR” and “OMB.”

Sen. Imee Marcos on Saturday, May 2, said that these three “little words” may affect how members of the House of Representatives will vote on the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The FLR (for later release) that Marcos was referring to is a budget mechanism where funds for specific, often lawmaker-identified projects, are put on hold until cleared by the President.

“Nakakatakot lang dati FLR. I te-take na lahat ang project. That’s always the problem. Since 2023, wala ng release pag opposition ka. Takot sila dun sa FLR, always three little letters. Noong una wala kang project. You cannot bring home the bacon to your district so magagalit ang tao sa ‘yo wala kang matulong (What was scary before was the FLR. All projects will be taken. That’s always the problem. Since 2023, no projects will be released if you are in the opposition. They are afraid of FLR. Always three little letters. You cannot bring home the bacon to your district and that will cause the people to get mad because you have nothing to help them),” Marcos said in a press conference in Mandaue City.

OMB, on the other hand, refers to the Office of Ombudsman where lawmakers may face charges depending on how they will vote on the Vice President’s impeachment case, Marcos said.

“The other three letters: OMB. You will be charged before the Ombudsman. That is more scary,” Marcos said.

Marcos believed that the Congress will muster enough votes to send the impeachment case to the Senate for a trial.

“106, It’s probably a given. That is not too complicated,” said Marcos.

The complications of voting against the impeachment make the process complicated for members of the House, the lady senator added.

“That certainly puts the Visayas and Midanao congressmen in a bind. That’s why I pity those congressmen from the Visayas and Mindanao. Hirap talaga (They are in a difficult situation),” the presidential sister added.

As some lawmakers may find themselves in a tough balancing act, Marcos encouraged them to vote based on their conscience.

“I enjoined them, total malalakas naman ang mga Cebu congressman, may teritoryo naman ang mga constituencies naman ang mga Mindanao congressmen, we will, like in the Senate, will vote in conscience. Conscience vote na lang. May teritoryo naman kayo. Mananalo nman kayo,” she said.

Marcos is seeing the voting at the House to be “madugo (tedious).”

“Yun ang madugo. Nasanay na sa FLR, OMB naman ang problema (That will be tedious. They are used to the FLR, but the OMB has also become a problem),” Marcos said.

While she expects that enough votes will be easily mustered at the House to move the impeachment case forward, Marcos sees a different situation at the Senate.

“Sa Senate mas malabo. Tingnan natin ang bilangan din, di ko alam (In the Senate, it’s unclear. Let us see the voting, I don’t know),” Marcos said.

Voting in the Senate may be divided especially with its composition, Marcos surmised.

“There are those of us who are known to be very close to the VP. In the minority, there’s nine of us. There's quite a few reelectionists. There are also those who in conscience will be voting and determining the weight of the evidence,” said Marcos.

Marcos added that the minority has a significant number of members but “marami din ang kinakasuhan (but a lot are being charged).”