HOUSE Committee on Public Accounts Chair Terry L. Ridon on Saturday dismissed as “diversionary” the claim that lawmakers are being pressured or enticed with projects to support the impeachment of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte stressing that such allegations sidestep the real issue: the evidence on record.
Ridon, a lawyer and a member of the House Committee on Justice, said the narrative of “district defunding” and political arm-twisting is a recycled line meant to discredit the process and distract public attention from the mounting documentary records, sworn testimonies, and institutional submissions already before the House.
“Hindi kailangan na kahit anong intriga. Hindi ho kailangan na kahit anong sinasabi nilang dagdag proyekto para makumbinsi ang mga tao. On the basis of evidence, meron talagang mali dito sa naging gawi ng Pangalawang Pangulo,” Ridon said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
“So my answer to that is intriga lang ‘yan, hindi ‘yan totoo. We can impeach on the basis of evidence, nothing more,” Ridon added.
Ridon, chair of the House Committee on Public Accounts and a member of the Justice Committee, made the statement after being asked about claims that lawmakers were being offered incentives or threatened with the loss of district funds if they would not support Duterte’s impeachment.
He said the evidence presented in the House impeachment proceedings is clear enough for ordinary Filipinos to understand without any need for political pressure.
“Katulad ho ng binanggit ko, sa totoo lang, hindi naman na ho kailangan ng pampatalino eh,” Ridon said.
“Kasi kahit po ‘yung ordinaryong tao maiintindihan nila. Paano nga ho talaga nila mapapaliwanag na may P4.4 bilyon na pumasok sa accounts ng mag-asawang Duterte Carpio over 20 years?” Ridon added.
Ridon pointed to one year in particular to show the gap between the vice president’s declared wealth and the bank transactions discussed in the proceedings.
“Pag-usapan nalang ho natin 2009, vice president lang yung po yung Pangalawang Pangulo po ng taon na yun,” Ridon said.
“Papaano pong nangyari with a SALN of P18 million in 2009, mayroon pong pumasok, lumabas sa kanila pong bank accounts na P700 million?” Ridon added.
The House Committee on Justice earlier found probable cause in the impeachment complaints against Duterte, with the proceedings heavily focused on alleged confidential fund irregularities, SALN declarations and Anti-Money Laundering Council records involving Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.
Ridon also challenged Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte to prove his allegation that House members were being threatened with defunding if they refused to vote for impeachment.
He stressed that the votes needed to impeach Duterte will come from the strength of the evidence, not from pressure or incentives.
“And sa totoo lang, and like what is previously stated kanina, the votes will come,” Ridon said.
“Particularly yun pong minimum required votes to impeach the VP, I don’t think there’s any coercion needed. I don’t think there’s any reward needed to impeach the VP,” Ridon added.
Ridon again cited the AMLC records and the confidential funds issue as evidence he believes is strong enough to move the case forward.
“Kasi nga the evidence is clear. The evidence on AMLC is clear; the evidence on confidential funds is clear,” Ridon said.
“So it is a challenge to him to show the evidence that there is coercion being undertaken against a member of Congress. Kasi I don’t think that is actually based on truth,” Ridon added.
Asked whether VP Duterte can be compelled to attend every Senate impeachment hearing if the case reaches trial, Ridon said senators may try to compel her appearance but that attendance will ultimately remain her decision.
“Nagbanggit na si Senator [Ping] Lacson diyan,” Ridon said.
“I think yung pong pagkakabanggit niya, they will compel her, but ultimately it is still her choice. I think that is how he actually described it,” Ridon added
