A Mother’s Day greeting took a sharp political turn as Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Leviste and Iloilo 1st District Representative Janette Garin clashed over the pending impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte and past legal controversies.
In a social media post on Saturday, Leviste—a self-identified “Diehard Duterte Supporter”—paired his holiday wishes for Garin with an allegation regarding her motives for supporting the Vice President’s impeachment.
“Happy Mother’s Day, Cong. Janette Garin! Kaya mo raw kailangang bumoto para sa impeachment dahil sa kaso mo sa Dengvaxia, ayon sa kaibigan mo. Pagkatapos ng botohan, sana maresolba na ang mga kaso mo,” Leviste wrote.
Garin, who maintains that strong evidence exists against the Vice President, fired back on Sunday. She dismissed the mention of the Dengvaxia controversy as a “diversion” and a “desperate attempt” to tarnish her name, asserting that the cases against her had already been dismissed.
“The dengvaxia scare is a diversion from the fundamental public health challenges of the previous administration. It is unfortunate that there are persistent efforts to revive this issue when it is already an established fact that the cases against me have been dismissed,” Garin replied.
The exchange highlights deepening tensions between the two lawmakers. Garin further criticized the use of “unverified autopsies” to fuel disinformation against her.
“It is also alarming how they use unverified autopsies and incredible testimonies in their desperate attempt to destroy my reputation. Still, we will not be deterred by such disinformation and we will remain steadfast in our commitment to the truth,” she added.
The friction also follows a legal complaint filed by Garin’s sister-in-law, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, against Leviste’s company for an alleged failure to fulfill solar power commitments.