Lawmakers on Sunday hit Vice President Sara Duterte for planning to skip the Nov. 20 House Blue Ribbon Committee hearing and to submit an affidavit to address the supposed misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.
House Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun of Zambales and Deputy Majority Leader Paolo Ortega V of La Union described Duterte’s move as a deliberate evasion of accountability.
“There is nothing wrong with an affidavit. But the problem here is her ‘budol’ style. She was saying she was not invited but now she is given the chance to clear issues she does not want to face (us). If she is not hiding anything, why can’t she answer face-to-face the queries of Congress and the public?” Khonghun asked.
Ortega echoed Khonghun’s sentiment, calling the affidavit submission a clear tactic to avoid scrutiny.
“This is a way to fool us around in the guise of VP Sara’s answer using an affidavit to elude appearing at the hearing,” Ortega said.
The House Blue Ribbon Committee or the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is investigating the alleged misuse of P500 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million under the Department of Education (DepEd) when Duterte was then the secretary.
Duterte attended the first hearing on Sept. 18 but refused to take an oath as a resource person, declined to answer lawmakers’ questions, and left early after delivering a brief statement criticizing the probe.
She then skipped subsequent hearings, citing constitutional concerns and questioning the investigation’s necessity.
During a recent House Quad Comm hearing, attended by her father, ex-President Rodrigo Duterte, the Vice President was personally handed an invitation to the Nov. 20 hearing of the Blue Ribbon Committee, which lawmakers emphasized as a crucial opportunity to address the allegations.
Khonghun and Ortega stressed that submitting an affidavit instead of appearing in person undermines the principles of transparency and accountability.
“The House Blue Ribbon committee has given the Vice President every opportunity to clarify the use of public funds under her office. The question of the people is, what is her clear explanation?” Khonghun said.
Ortega warned that Duterte’s continued absence would only fuel public doubt.
Khonghun urged Duterte to reconsider, reminding her of the importance of public trust.
“As public servants, our duty is to the people. Vice President Duterte owes it to the Filipino people to provide answers — not just on paper, but in person,” he pointed out.
