Tinawag na fake news ng Kamara ang pinalutang ng isa sa mga host ng programa sa SMNI na umabot ng P1.8 billion ang gastos ni Speaker Martin Romualdez sa kaniyang mga biyahe.
Sa opisyal na pahayag na inilabas ni House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, sinabi nito na walang basehan ang naturang alegasyon.
“Recent reports circulating about a P1.8 billion travel fund allocated to Speaker Martin Romualdez are completely unfounded and categorically false. These allegations are a clear example of fake news, designed to mislead the public and tarnish the reputation of the Speaker and the entire House of Representatives as an institution,” saad sa kalatas.
Ang mga ganito aniyang pahayag ay layon lamang na linlangin ang publiko at siraan ang reputasyon ni Speaker Romualdez pati na ng buong Kamara de Representantes.
Pinanindigan din ng House Secretary General na walang ganitong kalaking gastos ang tanggapan ng House speaker.
“The House of Representatives is committed to transparency and accountability, and the Office of the Secretary General can confirm that such bloated amount for the Speaker’s travel expenses does not exist,” dagdag pa nito.
Sa hiwalay naman na talumpati ni Quezon Rep. David ‘Jayjay’ Suarez, natanong nito kung nagkaroon man lang ng paki ang naturang programa para alamin at i-validate kung totoo nga ito.
“Ang tanong, is it true? Ang tanong, totoo ba ito. Did they even care to validate? Did they even care to ask? Did they even care to find out what really is the truth with regrds to this matter. We are all public officials and we are all open to criticisms ang public opinion and unfortunately, open to fake news. At ito pong pinalabas ng SMNI, isa po itong fake news. Hindi po ito totoo,” sabi ni Suarez
Diin pa nito ang isang kasinungalingan ay dapat harapin ng katotohanan upang mapatotohanan na ang mga pahayag na ito ay pag-atake lamang sa integridad at dignidad ng Kamara.
“A lie unchallenged attacks the very integrity of this institution. And it is necessary that we confront it with the truth. Because that is the only way we will find out that these are nothing but baseless attacks fake news that destroy the very integrity and dignity of the House of Representatives that we are all members of,” saad pa niya.
Kasunod nito, hiniling ni Suarez sa Kapulungan an atasan ang House Committee on Legislative Franchises para imbestigahan ang naturang insidente bilang bahagi ng kanilang oversight function.
“In the spirit of transparency and accountability, I humbly request this August chamber, to direct the Committee on Legislative Franchises, in the exercise of its inherent oversight function to investigate this matter immediately and other similar measures pending with the Committee including this personal and collective privilege,” wika pa ng Quezon solon.
Agad naman itong inaksyunan at itinakda ang pagdinig sa Huwebes, November 30.| ulat ni Kathleen Jean Forbes
