Lorna Kapunan on VP Sara's call for transparency: Start with yourself

"If you want transparency, you should start with yourself."

This was attorney and impeachment trial private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan's reply to Vice President Sara Duterte's call for transparency and full disclosure of public funds used in foreign travels of government officials.

Duterte issued the statement after Malacañang bared her travel authority to Japan. The Vice President later cancelled the trip.

"Where are you spending your billions in vice presidential funds? Yung budget po ni Vice President Sara Duterte na P2.3 billion at confidential funds niya, yung kanyang budget for 2023, yan ang pinakamalaki sa Office of the Vice President," Kapunan said in a press conference on Wednesday.

(Vice President Sara Duterte's budget for 2023 of P2.3 billion and her confidential funds, that is the largest budget for the Office of the Vice President.)

Kapunan added that Duterte was trying to "confuse" the public.

"Every time nagkakainitan sa impeachment trial, nagkakaroon siya ng press conference. Parang kino-confuse ang publiko. Kagaya kahapon, nabalitaan natin na nag-file na naman siya ng perjury case against [Ramil] Madriaga sa Quezon City. Parang iniiba niya ang story so that people will not focus on the impeachment. Sinasabi na naman niya na ito na naman ang issue ng flood control. Saan na naman ang President in terms of this? Ang tanong natin, where is the Vice President in all of this?"

(Every time something heated goes down at the impeachment trial, she holds a press conference. It's like she's trying to confuse the public. Like yesterday, we learned that she filed a perjury case against Ramil Madriaga in Quezon City. It's like she's trying to change the subject so that people will not focus on the impeachment. She is saying again that here's the flood control issue again, and where is the President in terms of this? Our question is, where is the Vice President in all of this?)

'Korte ng bayan'

"At huwag natin i-blame ang President or the budget or Congress for giving her confidential funds. Ibig sabihin ba pag binigyan ka ng confidential funds, regalo yan sa iyo, Madam Vice President? Hindi po yan regalo sa iyo. Public funds pa rin yan. So if you are blaming, if you are pointing a finger at all other government agencies, there are three fingers pointing back at you. So you start with yourself and start with presenting yourself, accounting for public funds in the impeachment court," Kapunan said.

(And let's not blame the President or the budget or Congress for giving her confidential funds Does that mean that the confidential funds were a gift to you, Madam Vice President? The funds were not a gift to you. Those are still public funds.)

"Huwag po kayo mag-press conference kasi hindi po yan ang korte ng bayan. Ang korte ng bayan ay ang impeachment court para sa accountable funds," Kapunan added.

(Don't hold a press conference because that is not the people's court. The people's court is the impeachment court for accountable funds.)

House impeachment spokesperson and adviser Robert Ace Barbers, in the same press conference, defended Malacañang's announcement.

"Kaya nga in-announce na merong scheduled trip ang ating Bise Presidente, because that exactly is transparency. You're a public official. People must know where you are kasi sa panahon na may delubyo kagaya nitong nangyayari sa atin na baha, bagyo, hindi naman pupuwedeng magpawalang kibo na lang ang ating mga officials sa gobyerno," he said.

(That's why they announced that the Vice President has a scheduled trip; that is the transparency. You're a public official. People must know where you are because in a time of disaster like what is happening now with flooding and storms, it is not acceptable for our government officials to do nothing.)

Barbers also said the Vice President was not being singled out.

"I guess kung sinasabing sini-single out, when the President travels, every time he travels, sinasabi naman kung saan siya din pupunta. So there's no difference actually. And this is part of the transparency that this government is now responding. So sa tingin ko, I think misplaced yung ganoong pananaw, yung ganoong statement," he explained.

(About the claim of being singled out, when the President travels, every time he travels, they say where he's going. So there's no difference actually...So in my opinion, this think of thinking is misplaced, that kind of statement.)

Barbers emphasized that "transparency applies to all aspects of governance."

"Kung kasama diyan yung paalis-alis mo sa bansa, kung saan ka napupunta, kasama po yan. In fact, I'm sure before you go to a certain place, kagaya ng ginagawa ng ating Pangulo bago siya pumunta sa isang lugar, nakaayos po ang audience, nakaayos po kung sino po yung sasalubong, nakaayos po lahat yan. Because may security protocols na sinusunod dyan.

(So your travels outside the country, where you're going, are included. In fact, I'm sure before you go to a certain place, such as what the President does before he goes somewhere, the audience has been arranged, who greets you has been arranged, everything has been arranged. Because there are security protocols to be followed.)

"At tama, transparency di lang doon sa kanyang physical presence in whatever, kung saan man ito kundi yung pagpapatakbo ng iyong opisina. Kasama yan sa panawagan na magkaroon ng transparency. Kailangan nakikita ng taumbayan saan napupunta ang ating pondong ginagamit dito," he said.

(And yes, the transparency is not just in your physical presence in whatever, wherever it is if not in your running of your office. That is included in the call for transparency. The public must be able to see where these funds go.)

Duterte has repeatedly stated that she is spending her personal money for her travels abroad.

"How do you explain your personal funds if it is stated in your SALN kung ano ang sweldo niyo, ano ang businesses ng asawa ninyo? Eh saan nanggagaling yung personal funds na ginagastos mo para sa mga travels mo? Eh di unexplained yon. Eh di exciting ang storya sa next article natin sa impeachment," Kapunan said

(How do explain your personal funds if it is stated in your SALN what your salary is, what your spouse's businesses are? Where do the personal funds that you spend on your travels come from? That is unexplained. So our next article of impeachment will be an exciting story.). — BM, GMA News