Senator Robin Padilla has filed a resolution urging the Senate to investigate serious allegations that witnesses may be receiving payments in exchange for their testimonies during legislative hearings.
Padilla stressed that such claims—if found to be true—pose a direct threat to the credibility and fairness of the Senate’s investigative functions. “Such allegations, if proven true, compromise the credibility and truthfulness of inquiries and erodes public trust in the legislative process,” he stated in the resolution.
The move comes in the wake of a viral video featuring Michael Maurilio, also known as “Rene,” a former Senate witness who accused Senator Risa Hontiveros of allegedly offering him ₱1 million to testify against Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Vice President Sara Duterte.
Padilla emphasized that the Senate must safeguard its integrity by looking into any attempts to manipulate public hearings through unethical practices. “It is imperative for the Senate to investigate the allegations to determine the institution’s vulnerability to such unethical activities and to recommend measures that will protect the integrity of the legislative process,” he added.
Senator Hontiveros, who chaired the Senate panel that investigated Quiboloy over alleged human trafficking and abuse, has denied the accusations. She has since filed cyberlibel charges against Maurilio, as well as Pagtanggol Valiente—the operator of the YouTube channel and Facebook page that published the video—and several other individuals accused of spreading false claims.
In a previous testimony delivered in February 2023, Maurilio, a former landscaper at KOJC’s Glory Mountain Compound in Davao City, claimed he saw the Dutertes visiting the site and leaving with a bag of firearms.
