Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Co emphasized that the Senate’s plan to reopen its investigation into the flood control controversy must not be weaponized to weaken the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Co, who serves as a spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, clarified that while youth sectors heavily demand accountability for the corruption scandal, the timing of these legislative proceedings should not confuse the public.
“Sa puno’t dulo ang kabataan, kami po ang isa sa pinaka maingay para magkaroon ng pananagutan doon sa nangyari sa flood control corruption scandals,” Co said during a radio interview.
“Ngunit kailangan din natin maging aware na ang timing ng mga proseso. Ayaw nating i-telegraph sa mamamayan na ang pananagutan para sa isa ay gagamitin laban sa pananagutan para sa iba,” she added.
Call for Unbiased Accountability
The lawmaker stressed that demands for justice must be handled with consistency across all integrity issues rather than being treated as selective or political maneuvers.
“Hindi po dapat gamitin ‘yung flood control para sabihin o tanggalan ng kredibilidad ‘yung pananagutang ginagawa natin kay VP Sara,” Co pointed out.
“So ang gusto naman natin lahat, ‘yung panawagan ng mamamayan lahat ng sangkot dapat managot. And so hindi dapat politicized ang issue na ginagamit laban sa iba, ‘yung pananagutan ng iba, but rather gusto natin straight forward,” she added.
Overlapping Timelines
The statement follows Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s announcement that a Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee is scheduled to resume its probe into the flood control issue on June 4.
Concurrently, Vice President Duterte is anticipated to submit her formal response to the impeachment charges today, June 1.