VP Sara Duterte: Every cent of my money came from legitimate source

Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday maintained that her service record is “clean,” saying that every cent of her money and assets came from a legitimate source and has necessary documentation.

This, after former senator Antonio Trillanes IV repeated his claim during the House justice panel impeachment hearing deliberations on Wednesday that the Vice President and immediate members of her family received P181 million from an alleged drug lord.

According to Duterte, Trillanes has been “peddling the same incredible story” since 2016, and what only changed from then is the supposed machinery now backing him.

“Simple lang ang sagot ko sa lahat ng paninira. Malinis ang aking service record; hindi ako kailanman nagkaroon ng kaso sa paggamit ng pondo ng bayan,” the Vice President said in a statement. 

(My answer to all the accusations is simple. My service record is clean; I have never been charged with misuse of public funds.) 

“Lahat ng aking ari-arian at pera ay idineklara ko sa aking SALN. Ang bawat sentimo ay mula sa lehitimong pinanggalingan at may kaukulang dokumento,” she added. 

(I declared all my assets and money in my SALN. Every cent is from a legitimate source and has the corresponding documentation.) 

Duterte alleged that Trillanes is now being supported by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., certain members of the House of Representatives, the Commission on Audit (COA), and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). 

She also noted that AMLC officials “remain silent and refuse to clarify that there have been no findings of violations of anti-money laundering laws, and the billions of peso in bank accounts are untrue.”

The AMLC on Wednesday confirmed that at least 18 bank transactions linked to Duterte and her family members, as cited in Trillanes' affidavit, match records of covered and suspicious transaction reports.

The former senator alleged that of the P181 million supposedly from one Sammy Uy, P22.3 million allegedly went to the Vice President while P15.65 million supposedly went to her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

The ex-lawmaker also alleged that Sara’s brothers, Davao City Mayor Sebastian and Davao First District Rep. Paolo Duterte, received P51.5 million and P38.3 million, respectively. 

He also claimed that P42.62 million allegedly went to the joint bank account of Honeylet Avanceña, the common-law wife of the former president, and their daughter, Veronica Duterte. Another P10.65 million allegedly went to Avanceña’s bank account, Trillanes said.

'Noise of impeachment proceedings'

But Vice President Sara advised the public not to be fooled by the “noise” of the impeachment proceedings against her. 

“Ang mga totoong magnanakaw, hindi sa bangko pinapasok ang pera—kundi sa maleta,” she said. 

(Real thieves don't put money in the bank—but in suitcases.) 

“Habang lalong lumalalim ang paggamit at pang-aabuso ng administrasyon sa ating mga institusyon para sa pulitika, lalong nahahalata ang kanilang takot na managot. Kung gaano katindi ang paninira sa akin, ganoon din katindi ang katahimikan at takot nilang managot sa bilyon-bilyong pisong ninakaw, inilagay sa maleta, at inilabas sa bansa,” she added. 

(As the administration's use and abuse of our institutions for political reasons deepens, their fear of being held accountable becomes more apparent. As their accusations against me intensify, so is their silence and fear of being held accountable for the billions of pesos stolen, placed in suitcases, and brought out of the country.) — RSJ, GMA News