House Deputy Speaker Zambales 1st district Rep. Jay Khonghun says the 2028 "no election" scenario and other rumors being floated by Senator Imee Marcos are simply meant to deflect from the real central issue, which is Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial.

“Walang katotohanan ang no election scare na iyan. Ginagamit lang ang takot ng tao sa term extension para sirain ang tiwala sa gobyerno at ilihis ang usapan mula sa ebidensya,” Khonghun said in a statement.

(There is no truth to that no election scare. It only uses people’s fear of term extension to destroy trust in government and divert attention from the evidence)

The Senate convened as an impeachment court on May 18. The Office of the Vice President received the writ of summons on May 20, and the trial is expected to begin on July 6, according to Senator Erwin Tulfo.

Amid these developments, Senator Marcos reportedly claimed that a constituent assembly was allegedly being prepared to extend the terms of incumbent lawmakers, prolong President Marcos' term until 2031, cancel the 2028 elections, and raise the presidential age requirement to prevent Vice President Duterte from running.

Khonghun said such allegations from Senator Marcos--a Duterte ally--should not be accepted as fact without evidence, especially as the country enters a crucial stage in the Senate impeachment trial.

“This is a textbook deflection. Kapag hindi na kayang sagutin ang ebidensya, gagawa ng ibang kuwento para ang administrasyon naman ang pagdudahan,” Khonghun said.

(When evidence can no longer be answered, another story is created so that suspicion shifts to the administration.)

The Zambales lawmaker stressed that the real issue before the nation is not an alleged Charter change plot, but the Vice President’s obligation to answer the articles of impeachment before the Senate impeachment court. The case involves allegations of misuse of public funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and threats against top government officials — accusations that Duterte has denied.

“Bawal ang chismis sa usaping pambansa. Kapag mabigat ang paratang, dapat may ebidensya, hindi puro pahaging para guluhin ang isip ng publiko,” he said.

(Gossip has no place in national issues. When accusations are serious, there must be evidence, not mere insinuations to confuse the public.)

He warns that the no election narrative is dangerous because it exploits a fear long rejected by Filipinos: term extension.

Rather than helping the public better understand the impeachment case, Khonghun said the allegation diverts attention away from the evidence and toward a politically explosive but unsubstantiated narrative.

“Public officials must raise the level of public debate. Serious accusations require facts, records, and witnesses, not rumor packaged as political analysis,” Khonghun, a House 'Young Guns Bloc' member, said.

He added that the House of Representatives had already fulfilled its constitutional role when it voted 257-25-9 (yes-no-abstain) to impeach Duterte and transmit the articles of impeachment to the Senate.

At this stage, he said, public attention should remain focused on the Senate impeachment court, the evidence, and the respondent’s formal answer.

Khonghun also warned that fake news and disinformation are increasingly being used to weaken accountability even before the trial begins.

“Fake news is the main saboteur of truth and justice. It poisons public judgment, confuses the facts, and protects those who should be answering before the proper forum,” he said.