Former Makabayan bloc lawmakers on Wednesday strongly denied allegations that they received luggage filled with cash from anomalous flood control projects, calling the claims fabricated and politically driven.
Former ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro, former Gabriela Party-list Representative Arlene Brosas, and former Kabataan Party-list Representative Raoul Manuel condemned the malicious and unsigned statement linking them to supposed cash deliveries.
“Mariin naming pinabubulaanan ang mga paratang na ito. Malinaw ang track record ng Makabayan na hindi nagpapayaman sa pwesto. These are fabricated charges designed to intimidate us and to undermine the people’s quest for truth and accountability,” the group said in a joint statement.
They said the timing of the claims was suspicious, pointing to ongoing criminal proceedings against former President Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and upcoming impeachment hearings for Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Ito ay malinaw na paghihiganti at pagtatangkang patayin ang kredibilidad ng mga kumilos upang ilantad ang katotohanan. The accusations are nothing but tsismis and guilt by association, devoid of any concrete details or evidence,” they added.
The former lawmakers said the accusations were retaliation for their active role in House committee hearings exposing corruption linked to the Duterte camp and emphasized that the unsigned statement carries no legal weight.
“The Filipino people will not be fooled by these diversionary tactics. The Dutertes cannot escape accountability for their crimes by manufacturing lies against those who dare to speak truth to power,” they concluded.