IMPEACHMENT endorser and Manila Rep. Bienvenido “Benny” Abante on Thursday urged Vice President Sara Z. Duterte to personally face the House Committee on Justice and answer the allegations against her, instead of resorting only to media statements.
“Ibigay niya ang kanyang paliwanag sa Committee on Justice. Hindi iyung puro propaganda lang siya,” Abante, chair of the House Committee on Human Rights, said in a statement.
“Ang komite—at ang Senado kung doon ito mauuwi—ang tamang forum para sa kanyang paliwanag. Hindi lamang press release, social media post o press conference ang kanyang dapat gawin. Kung ganyan lang, malinaw na pag-iwas sa responsibilidad at accountability ito,” Abante said.
Abante issued the call two days after the justice panel’s clarificatory hearing on the impeachment complaints.
He pointed to key pieces of evidence presented during the proceedings, including the testimony of Ramil L. Madriaga, who identified himself as alleged bagman of Duterte and a supposed dummy of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte in certain bank accounts.
Also cited was the Commission on Audit’s final ruling affirming the disallowance of P73 million in confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) of the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.
The hearing also examined findings of the National Bureau of Investigation–Questioned Documents Division (NBI-QDD), which flagged similarities in handwriting and signatures in acknowledgment receipts of supposed CIF recipients.
For Abante, these reports carry significant weight.
“Sa batas, may presumption of regularity ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno—ibig sabihin, inaasahang maayos ang kanilang ginawa at walang halong politika,” aniya.
He said the findings point to irregularities in the spending of nearly half of the P125 million CIFs released to DepEd.
“Ang final disallowance, malinaw: hindi pinayagan ang paggastos ng P73 million dahil kaduda-duda at walang sapat na dokumento,” paliwanag niya.
Abante also noted that similar cases have reached the Sandiganbayan and the Office of the Ombudsman, with some officials ordered to return public funds.
“Ganito rin ang ibig sabihin ng desisyon ng COA—isauli ang P73 million ng VP at ng ilang opisyal ng DepEd,” Abante said.
