Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday criticized President Rodrigo Duterte, asking him to show his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and come out clean if he was really serious to fight corruption.
“The mandate of the Vice President is succession only. But for me, Ka Ely, there is a lot of other ways to show that you are anti-corruption. The SALN is a way to show you are open, every information (about you) is open. For me, that is a way to show there is no corruption,” she told her co-host Ely Saludar in her weekly radio program.
Robredo, a lawyer like Duterte, reacted to Duterte’s statement that he would audit all government agencies once he was elected as vice president in 2022.
“That is not in our mandate,” Robredo said.
The President has declined to show his SALNs since 2018.
The Office of the Ombudsman only allowed to show the President’s SALN in 2017 with a net worth of P28.5 million.
The Vice President came to the defense of the Commission on Audit after Duterte slammed the state auditors over an audit report on the Department of Health’s non-compliance with the laws and regulations in the management of P67.323 billion in COVID-19 response funds.
“But the audit, Ka Ely, is mandated to one constitutional body. Why is it under a constitutional body? So there would be independence…, and never under the other branches of government,” Robredo said.
“It’s not among our mandates. The mandate of the VP is only succession. We’re just creative that’s why we have an anti-poverty program, a pandemic program, but auditing is under a constitutional body…so that there’s independence. So other government branches cannot tamper (with),” she said.
Robredo stressed that anti-corruption efforts must begin with the Office of the President.
Meanwhile, Robredo said it was a great honor and privilege to have served the Philippines despite what she called its ugly politics.
Robredo, in an interview with TV host and actress Toni Gonzaga, said she was grateful for the platform the Office of the Vice President gave to her in able to help people.
“Despite the ugliness, I still think it has been a great honor and privilege to have been given this chance na makatulong (to help). I had a) platform to help,” she said.
“For me, the honor is not the position nor the title but the platform that was given to me to make a difference in the lives of the communities and the people we help,” she said.
