Official laughs attempt to link Palace to alleged bribery as opposition ploy

Chief Presidential Legal Adviser Sergio Apostol laughed off on Tuesday as an opposition "plant' the person who allegedly offered huge sums to certain members of the House of Representatives in exchange for their endorsement of the impeachment complaint against the President.

"This person was planted by the opposition. This is an opposition ploy," Apostol said, referring to the alleged attempt by a member of the administration’s Kabalikat sa Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) party to bribe certain opposition solons.

Deploring the "crude" and "desperate" attempt to draw Malacañang into the controversy, Apostol stressed that the "Palace has nothing to do with that. It is impossible for a Malacañang fellow to sit in the (House of Representatives) gallery and approach opposition congressmen" to offer them bribes.

"They (opposition) have been desperate all along," he said.

In a privilege speech this morning in the House of Representatives, Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran identified Francis Ver as the one who allegedly offered him P2 million if he would endorse the impeachment case against the President.