House Assistant Majority Leader Lanao del Sur 1st Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong called out Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong for making an "irresponsible and unfair" allegation as to the supposed extent of corruption in the House of Representatives.

Adiong said that instead of firing off on practically all of congressmen, Magalong ought to mention specific names and present evidence.

“It is quite irresponsible and unfair to just brush the entire institution with a single stroke and to say that 90 percent of the members are corrupt. We should be judged based on our individual work,” Adiong said in a press conference Monday, June 16.

Adiong--spokesperson of the House prosecution panel in the upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte--was reacting to Magalong’s recent assertion that around 90 percent of House members were corrupt.

The mayor--who for a time acted as special investigator of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)--attributed his claim to what he described as a system that enables corruption.

Adiong said allegations of wrongdoing should be supported by facts and directed at specific individuals, as opposed to a sweeping claim against an institution.

“We understand that the mayor is an advocate against corruption, but as he himself, as an investigator, he knows that such accusations should be backed up by evidence,” said the Midnanaoan.

“If he has names, it’s better to name names rather than to attack the entire institution,” he added.

Adiong said the House welcomes efforts to promote accountability in government but stressed that accountability must be accompanied by due process.

“As public officers and public officials, we carry responsibility when we speak about certain matters, not only to give clarity to the public but with precision. When I say precision, it has to also be backed up by evidence, solid evidence,” he said, as if lecturing the accuser.

“Due process demands that any accusations made against anybody or any institution should be backed up by concrete evidence,” Adiong further said.

He also pointed to congressional inquiries and committee hearings as examples of the House’s efforts to investigate allegations of wrongdoing and promote accountability in government.

“The House of Representatives has been standing on the principle of accountability. We’ve been doing a lot of work. We’ve been doing a lo t of inquiries in order to sort out allegations of corruption,” Adiong said.

Before he became mayor, Magalong served as director of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).