THE House Committee on Justice on Wednesday rejected claims of the camp of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte that its impeachment proceedings are a “fishing expedition,” saying the case is anchored on existing records, including her own Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).
“Alam ninyo entitled naman ho sila sa opinion nila. The facts are, however, very clear. Mayroon pong kailangang ipaliwanag ang ating pangalawang pangulo doon sa discrepancy na kanya pong SALN ng 2007 at 2024,” Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, a member of the justice panel, said in a press conference.
“Fishing expedition lang po ‘yan kung wala ho tayong pinagsisimulang mga dokumento. Ang problema meron, nasa SALN po mismo ng pangalawang pangulo,” he added.
Ridon, who also chairs the House Committee on Public Accounts, pointed to a “wealth gap” between Duterte’s reported cumulative salary of around P30 million to P50 million since 2007 and her declared net worth of about P88 million in 2024.
During the hearing, the panel ordered the issuance of subpoenas to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to obtain tax records and corporate documents linked to Duterte, her spouse, and their business interests.
Ridon said documents being sought—including income tax returns, value-added tax payments, and audited financial statements—are expected to explain the discrepancy.
Committee chair Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro of Batangas said the panel’s actions were grounded on its earlier rulings finding the complaints sufficient to proceed.
“We will remember that there has been a declaration of sufficiency in form, there has been a declaration of sufficiency in substance, and there has been a declaration of sufficiency in ground,” Luistro said.
“In other words, the committee already ruled on the existence of a sufficient basis to proceed to hearing proper, that includes the issuance of a subpoena,” she added.
Duterte earlier described the proceedings as a “fishing expedition,” a claim lawmakers dismissed as unfounded given the documentary basis already on record.
The committee continues to gather evidence and testimonies as the impeachment proceedings move forward.
