La Union 1st District Representative Paolo Ortega V stated that Vice President Sara Duterte is obligated to personally address the allegations against her during her upcoming Senate impeachment trial, asserting that the public deserves straightforward answers.
Speaking at a media forum in Quezon City on Saturday, Ortega emphasized that accountability should come directly from the official involved.
“Kung ikaw ‘yung tinuturo, ikaw ang hinahanapan ng sagot, magandang manggaling sa coming from the horse’s mouth, sabi nga nila,” Ortega said.
The lawmaker pointed out that Duterte’s expressed ambitions for the presidency in the 2028 elections place her under a stricter lens of public accountability.
“If you are putting yourself in a higher standard, kunwari ako tatakbong presidente o bise presidente ng Pilipinas, may obligasyon ka sa taong bayan na sumagot. You are held to a higher standard than regular people, regular politicians, dahil hinalal ka diyan, sagutin mo yung taong bayan,” he explained.
However, Ortega expressed skepticism regarding whether the Vice President would actually show up to defend herself in the impeachment court, noting her track record during prior legislative inquiries.
“Tinanong sa akin ‘yan nung House hearings, sabi ko hindi. Ako ay hindi pa rin, hindi pa rin siya dadalo. Kasi hindi siya dumadalo talaga eh, kahit nung 19th Congress, hindi siya dumalo, saka hindi rin siya nag-oath. So sa tingin ko, hindi pa rin siya dadalo, although personal opinion ko lang ‘yun,” he remarked.
“Strategy niya yun, yung hindi pagdalo, hindi pag-comment, hindi pag-pansin, nasa defense kung paano nila i-handle yun,” Ortega added.
The congressman cited survey data showing that 80% of Filipinos support the progression of the impeachment process, expressing confidence that the public will respect the Senate’s final decision as long as the truth is sought.
“Yung 8 out of 10, ang gusto nila ay maumpisahan para masagot. Kung ano man ang resulta, sa tingin ko, tatanggapin naman po ng taong bayan ‘yun. Ang gusto nila ay maumpisahan at masagot yung tanong,” he said.
“Kasi kahit sino namang tao na marami kang nakabimbin na questions, siyempre ‘yung gusto mo ‘yung pinakamabilis na sagot, ‘yung tamang sagot. Wala naman po sa atin na may gusto na ang dami mong tanong, wala kang nakuhang sagot, di ka pinansin, umalis na lang, para kang binasted, di ba,” Ortega added.
Ortega noted that while stepping down is always a possibility, he does not foresee Duterte resigning, observing instead that her legal team has consistently tried to block the case from moving forward.
“It’s an option, pero sa tingin ko, hindi mag-reresign. Pero iniiwasan po nila na magkaroon ng trial. Kaya nga po nung umpisa, gusto nila ma-dismiss sa hearings ng House, ma-dismiss sa Senado, although di naman po maari dahil kailangan magkaroon ng trial,” he said.
The lawmaker concluded by pushing for the timely opening of the trial on July 6, stressing that the proceedings are necessary to lay out all evidence and put an end to the political controversy.
“So it’s all part of the strategy, it’s all part of the narrative. Pero kailangang mag-umpisa na ang trial para makita na po lahat, mailatag lahat ng ebidensiya at sagot, para matapos na po, tuldukan na po, tapusin na natin itong impeachment trial na ‘to,” Ortega stressed.