VP Sara to House members: Show me the ‘unexplained wealth’ on my SALN

Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday challenged members of the House of Representatives, alleging she has unexplained wealth, to point out which part of her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) is questionable. 

“Merong members ng House of Representatives na nagsabi ng unexplained wealth na tinatanong ko lagi, ituro mo sa akin. Saan diyan ang unexplained? Kasi ‘pag sinabi mong unexplained, hindi mapaliwanag ‘di ba, kung paano ‘yan pumasok diyan sa SALN mo,” she said in an interview posted on her official Facebook page. 

(There are members of the House of Representatives who said I have unexplained wealth. I always tell them to show me where that is. Which part is unexplained? Because when you say unexplained, it’s something that cannot be explained, right? Like how did that get into my SALN?) 

“Wala man eh. Sinasabi lang, ‘Ah, may unexplained wealth siya,’” she added. 

(They don’t say anything. They just say, 'Ah, she has unexplained wealth.’) 

Ahead of the House justice panel vote on the sufficiency in substance of the impeachment complaints against her, Bicol Saro party-list Representative Terry Ridon presented copies of the Vice President’s SALNs since 2008.

Based on these SALNs, the Vice President posted a net worth of P18 million in 2008, an amount that now stands at P88 million as of end of December 2024.

“So anong iniisip nila, nakatunganga ako in 16 years na parang…hindi ako kumikita, hindi naghanap-buhay, hindi nag-trabaho?” Duterte said in return.

(So what are they thinking, I've just been sitting around for 16 years like...I’m not earning money, not working?) 

The House committee on justice found the impeachment complaints against Duterte sufficient in substance.

The impeachment complaints mainly accuse the Vice President of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, among others, over the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, and threatening to kill the President and his family.

House justice panel chairperson Gerville Luistro of Batangas and House Senior Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima of ML party-list said examining Duterte's bank records is now in order after the House justice panel found the impeachment complaints against the Vice President sufficient in substance. —LDF, GMA Integrated News