In an unusual move, leaders of various political parties within the House of Representatives have jointly criticized former President Rodrigo Duterte for his recent inflammatory statements and threats against Congress.

This statement came in response to Duterte’s controversial remarks targeting Congress, which he accused of being a “rotten institution.”

The House leaders’ joint statement expressed their strong objections to Duterte’s threats and emphasized the House’s consistent support for his legislative priorities over the years.

They called on all parties involved to avoid making threats or insinuating harm against any member of the House or the institution itself.

The statement, released by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco, was the result of consultations with lawmakers from the House’s majority bloc.

It was issued by several political parties, including the Lakas Christian-Muslim Democrats (CMD), Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan, Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, National Unity Party, and the Partylist Coalition Foundation Inc.

In the early years of Duterte’s presidency, he enjoyed strong support from the “supermajority” of the House, which included members of the Makabayan bloc. However, tensions have escalated since, with some Makabayan lawmakers opposing Duterte’s policies.

Duterte’s recent criticism of Congress revolved around allegations of misuse of “pork barrel” funds, coincidentally, just after his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, lost significant confidential funds for her office and the Department of Education.

The former president accused Speaker Martin Romualdez of orchestrating attacks against his daughter and suggested that Romualdez was planning to run for president. Romualdez currently leads Lakas-CMD.

Duterte also targeted ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro of the Makabayan bloc, even threatening to harm her. The Makabayan bloc may file formal complaints against Duterte, with some suggesting he could face charges of making direct grave threats against Castro.

The House leaders emphasized that the reallocation of confidential funds to various government agencies was made in the context of escalating tensions with China and was in the best interest of national security.

They noted that these decisions were not personal attacks, but rather decisions taken for the nation’s benefit.

The House leaders defended their stance and highlighted that the funds Duterte referred to as “pork barrel” had already been deemed unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

They underlined their commitment to respecting and upholding this ruling.

In response to criticisms of the House’s extraordinary and miscellaneous fund, they emphasized that these allocations were standard budgetary allocations for official functions and duties, transparent, and subject to oversight by the Commission on Audit.

The House leaders concluded by urging Duterte to present tangible evidence of wrongdoing to the appropriate authorities rather than making sweeping allegations in the media.

They also pointed out that their financial decisions had passed all levels of audits, demonstrating their commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparency.