Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III has strongly dismissed allegations made by Senator Imee Marcos that supposed maneuverings in the 2026 national budget could be used to fuel another impeachment bid against Vice President Sara Duterte, describing the claims as “unfair and baseless.”
Speaking on Friday, Sotto said lawmakers couldn’t use the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) to pressure colleagues into supporting any impeachment effort, pointing to the strict “anti-epal” provision included in the newly signed budget law.
“No, I don’t think so, it’s not possible. Her accusations are unfair and baseless. Hindi ko maintindihan kung paano mangyayari ’yun,” Sotto said. He emphasized that politicians are now explicitly prohibited from interfering in the distribution of financial aid under the 2026 budget, making any alleged use of funds for political leverage impossible. “Paano ida-dangle sa mga kongresman para sa impeachment? Wala nang ganoon. No such thing.”
Senator Marcos earlier described the 2026 budget—recently signed by her brother, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.—as a “political” rather than developmental spending plan. She alleged that portions of the budget had been “chopped” to support fresh impeachment efforts against Vice President Duterte, suggesting that a new complaint could be filed in February once the one-year constitutional ban on such actions expires.
Marcos also raised concerns over what she called “soft pork,” pointing to government assistance programs such as the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients (MAIFIP) and the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations (AICS), which she feared could be used for political purposes.
Sotto, however, categorically rejected the claim. He stressed that the Senate would never permit such misuse of public funds, noting that the 2026 GAA contains a special provision introduced by Senator Panfilo Lacson and strongly reinforced by President Marcos.
“Una sa lahat, wala kaming pinapayagan na ganu’n,” Sotto said. “May particular provision na nilagay si Senator Lacson, at diniinan pa ni President Marcos, na hindi puwedeng makialam ang mga politiko. So paano maging pork ’yun?”
He further dismissed the senator’s assertions as overly speculative. “Ang problema kapag nagni-nitpicking ka na. Of course, she’s entitled to her wrong opinion, este, own opinion,” he added.
The Senate President also revealed that Vice President Duterte’s impeachment was never discussed during the 2026 budget deliberations. “Wala. Ni hindi nababanggit si VP Sara, except during her budget time… masyadong nagiging paranoid ang iba,” Sotto said.
Earlier, President Marcos vowed to strictly enforce the “anti-epal” provision in the 2026 GAA, which mandates that all financial assistance be distributed solely by authorized government personnel or accredited partners—effectively barring politicians from taking part.