Vice President Sara Duterte has called on lawmakers to refrain from using resource persons with questionable credibility, following accusations made by former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Mercado against her.
Duterte alleged that Mercado is being used as part of a political campaign to tarnish her reputation among the Filipino public.
The Vice President’s statement came after Mercado testified during a congressional hearing, claiming she received a monthly sum of P50,000 from the office of then-DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte.
When asked by Rep. Gerville Luistro if this payment was a form of bribery, Mercado did not provide a clear answer.
Duterte, who had previously referred to Mercado as a “disgruntled former employee” following her removal from office, accused the former DepEd official of soliciting P16 million worth of equipment from a private company—an action Duterte described as a clear violation of the law.
Duterte emphasized the importance of credible testimonies in congressional hearings and urged lawmakers to verify the motives of resource persons before allowing them to speak.