Manila 3rd District Representative Joel Chua has issued a direct challenge to Vice President Sara Duterte, calling for her personal appearance before the House Committee on Justice to respond to allegations under oath.
Chua, who also leads the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, criticized the Vice President’s recent habit of addressing serious legal and financial inquiries through social media clips and press releases rather than formal proceedings.
“Hindi vlog ang hearing—records ang sagot, hindi script. Ang dating ng sagot niya, parang script ng vlogger na nagkakalat ng fake news. Maingay, mapanumbat, at punong-puno ng diversion, pero tahimik at kapos pagdating sa konkretong pagsagot sa ebidensiya,” Chua remarked.
The lawmaker’s comments follow a statement released by Duterte online last Wednesday, in which she denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Chua maintained that public relations efforts cannot replace legal accountability, especially after the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) reported ₱6.7 billion in flagged transactions linked to accounts belonging to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Mans Carpio.
Discrepancies in Financial Declarations
A primary point of contention for the committee is the discrepancy between the reported bank activity and the Vice President’s official filings.
Chua noted that Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) from 2019 to 2024 reportedly showed no declared cash on hand or in bank accounts, despite the high volume of transactions flagged by the AMLC.
“Hindi sapat na sabihin mong dineklara mo ang lahat kung ang mismong mga record na tinitingnan ngayon ay humihingi ng linaw. Sa ganitong pagkakataon, ang tamang sagot ay hindi public relations, kundi personal na pagharap at tapat na pagpapaliwanag,” he added.
A Call for Accountability
Chua dismissed the Vice President’s current strategy as “press release governance,” questioning whether the OVP is prioritizing media narratives over constitutional duty.
He urged her to attend the upcoming hearing scheduled for April 29.
“Palakasan ba ito ng narrative sa media? Kasi mukhang sablay pa rin ang mga sagot ni VP sa press releases niya. Ang pakiusap sana natin sa Bise Presidente ay ‘wag sa press release sumagot. Masyado na siyang nasasanay sa press release governance. Sana humarap na lang siya sa hearing sa April 29, kasi hindi naman sasagot ‘yung press release ating clarificatory questions,” Chua asserted.
The lawmaker concluded by stating that a leader with nothing to hide should welcome the opportunity to clear their name in a formal setting.
“Kung talagang malinis ang record mo, mas lalo kang dapat humarap. Ang isang pinunong may paninindigan ay hindi nagtatago sa press statement habang ang mga tanong ng taumbayan ay nananatiling nakabitin sa hearing.”