OCTOBER 17, 2024
Vice President Sara Z. Duterte during her press conference at the Office of the Vice President, Robinsons Cybergate Plaza, Mandaluyong City.
INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLON
MANILA, Philippines — House Assistant Majority Leader and Taguig City 2nd District Rep. Pammy Zamora dared Vice President Sara Duterte to face the House Blue Ribbon Committee, after the latter’s remarks about “killing” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In a statement on Saturday, Zamora said, “Instead of complying with lawful orders, the vice president has chosen the opposite path. This diverts attention from the critical questions surrounding her office’s actions.”
House leaders previously slammed Duterte for declining to attend the congressional investigation into alleged misuse of funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as its secretary.
READ: House leaders slam VP Duterte for plan to skip probe
The House committee on good government and public accountability is set to meet again on Monday, November 25, to continue its inquiry into the use of DepEd’s budget.
Zamora said, “The hearing is not about personal vendettas; it is about ensuring transparency in the use of public funds.”
“Transparency and accountability are the cornerstones of public trust. By attending the hearing, Vice President Duterte can prove that she values these principles,” she added.
The Taguig City representative’s comments came hours after Duterte gave statements threatening assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her running mate in the “UniTeam” tandem for the 2022 national elections.
In a virtual press conference close to 1 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23, Duterte said she already instructed a person to assassinate Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she was killed.
Zamora said, “No amount of distraction should divert attention from ferreting out the facts behind the use of confidential funds.”
“Her threats against the President, the First Lady and the Speaker should not be ignored. This will definitely be looked into,” she added in a mix of Filipino and English.
Malacañang responded to Duterte’s remarks also on Saturday morning, saying the statements were deemed an “active threat” and referred to the Presidential Security Group “for immediate proper action.”
READ: Sara Duterte’s kill remark vs Marcos is ‘active threat’ – Palace
Duterte’s press conference followed an order from the House to transfer OVP chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez from the chamber’s detention facility to the Correctional Institution for Women.
READ: House orders transfer of VP Duterte’s aide to women’s prison
The vice president “physically” meddled to stall the House from serving the transfer order to Lopez, according to House Sergeant-at-Arms Napoleon Taas in a press conference Saturday morning.
READ: Sara Duterte blocked execution of House order on Lopez detention change
On Thursday, Duterte visited her chief-of-staff at the Batasang Pambansa Complex and stayed the night in the office of her brother Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, ignoring requests from Congress leaders for her to leave the premises.
READ: VP Duterte ignores request to leave House after visiting chief of staff
Zamora said, “Kung gusto niya talagang mag-camp out dito sa House, baka mas mabuti na harapin na din ang mga miyembro ng Blue Ribbon Committee.”
(If she really wants to camp out in the House, it would be better if she faces the members of the Blue Ribbon Committee.)
“This is an opportunity for Vice President Duterte to address the serious concerns about her office’s confidential fund spending and the allegations tied to her chief-of-staff,” Zamora added.
Lopez was detained by the House after being cited in contempt for undue interference in the congressional inquiry into the OVP’s spending.
After receiving the order for transfer to the women’s prison, Lopez became ill and was brought to the Veterans Memorial Medical Center then transferred to the St. Luke’s Medical Center.
READ: Sara Duterte’s chief of staff falls ill, rushed to hospital
By Saturday afternoon, House Secretary-General Reginald Velasco said physicians at St. Luke’s examined and cleared Lopez, who was then returned to Veteran’s by 1:15 p.m. on November 23.