Explain corruption charges, lawmakers urge VP Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega on Sunday warned Vice President Sara Duterte that her trust rating may decline further if she continues to refuse to address the corruption allegations against her.

Ortega made the prediction after a Pulse Asia survey result, which showed that over half—or 51.5 percent—of those who distrusted her pointed to her alleged involvement in corruption as the reason.

“In my view, her trust ratings will decline further,” Ortega said in Filipino. “Those issues have long hanging for a long time because she cannot explain and even reply to them.”

READ: Lawyers seek to stop impeachment hearings vs Sara Duterte

“That is already embedded in the minds of the public. That’s why the distrust of her is so high,” Ortega, who is among the endorsers of the fourth impeachment complaint against Duterte, said in a statement.

Refusal to explain

“It takes into account the Vice President’s continued intentional refusal to explain her alleged involvement in corruption, bribery, the threats she made against the President, misuse of hundreds of millions in taxpayers’ money, among other issues; and her efforts to frustrate accountability mechanisms, he said.

“How can Filipinos trust a Vice President, let alone one eyeing the presidency in 2028, if she cannot explain corruption issues that have been hounding her for years?” Ortega added.

Ortega noted that the survey was conducted before Duterte declined the invitation of the House committee on justice and prior to the filing of a petition by lawyers identified with the Dutertes before the Supreme Court seeking to halt the House impeachment hearings.

“It will be hard to erase that from the national consciousness. Even if explains in a Senate trial, it will be too little, too late,” Ortega added.

Public distrust 

Meanwhile, Terry Ridon, chair of the House of Representatives’ committee on public accounts, noted on Saturday that Duterte is now facing “deepening public distrust driven by her continued evasion of serious corruption allegations and her reliance on legal efforts to halt the impeachment process.”

“The 51.5 percent distrust is not accidental. It is the direct result of the continued evasion of serious allegations, especially on confidential funds,” said Ridon.

He said the committee is expecting government agencies issued with subpoenas to submit tax, business and statement of assets, liabilities and net worth documents of the Vice President in the coming days.

“The longer the answers do not come, the stronger the distrust becomes. You can delay a hearing, but you cannot delay the public’s verdict on your character,” Ridon said. /cb