Tiangco accuses colleague of conduct unbecoming a congressman

MANILA, Philippines- Navotas Representative Tobias Tiangco insisted on Monday that he was threatened by Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales with expulsion if he was going to testify in the impeachment trial.

“In the rules [of the House of Representatives], if you did something wrong you can be expelled. What wrong did I do today? His threat that I will be expelled if I testify was [conduct unbecoming of a congressman],” Tiangco said.

“Lawyers know that you never say that to a witness who has not yet taken the witness stand,” he said about Gonzales’ statements that he faces expulsion.

Tiangco testified as the first witness for the defense regarding the alleged pressure being used by allies of President Benigno Aquino in the house of representative to get them to sign the impeachment complaint.

Tiangco claimed that “the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) was being used to get the votes [of the congressmen]. Why is there fear to not follow orders? It is because the PDAF will be withheld.”

The defense had repeatedly argued throughout the impeachment trial that the impeachment complaint was not properly verified by the congressmen because many of them did not read it completely and just signed.

Tiangco said that “If ever there were expulsion proceedings, I am ready to face it.”