VP Sara contributes to PH's problem of violence, not its solution —Kapunan

Impeachment trial private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan on Wednesday said that Vice President Sara Duterte’s words contribute to the prevailing culture of violence in the country.

The attorney made the observation in response to a question about the school shooting in Ateneo de Zamboanga that left two students dead, including the gunman.

“I am not saying the Vice President is responsible. I am saying she certainly is contributing to the problem and not to the solution. Maalala natin sabi niya kung nangaliwa ang kanyang asawa, mag-hire siya ng assassin ng P5,000 [If you recall, she said that if she had a husband who cheats on her, she could hire an assassin for just P5,000].

"If we have a high ranking official, the Vice President herself, saying she knows assassins who she can hire for P5,000…is that our culture? She said she wanted to cut off the head [of the President], saka nag-hire na daw siya ng [and that she hired] someone to kill the First Lady, the President and the Speaker of the House. That's a culture of violence,” Kapunan said in an online press conference, referring to previous public pronouncements of the Vice President.

“‘Yan ang default reaction ng VP, mag-hire ng assassin, mag-press conference, mag-threaten. Hindi naman tamang family values ‘yan na in-encourage ang mga anak mo na pag may kalaban, violence ang gagamitin mo. That cannot be the leadership example of a high-ranking public official na nakikita ng kabataan,” Kapunan added.

(Her default action is to hire an assassin, conduct a press conference and make threats. That is not the kind of family values you want for your children…that if they have enemies, violence is the solution. That cannot be the leadership example for the youth.)

Kapunan then said that this is the reason why the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President include allegations that she betrayed public trust, among others, in espousing violence and should be removed from office.

“It is now a culture of violence and that is why going back to the impeachment, ipakita natin sa lahat na hindi pwedeng mangyari ito,” Kapunan said.

(We should be able to see that she cannot get away with such ways.)

“Hindi pwedeng walang responsibilidad ang VP natin,” Kapunan added.

(Our Vice President has to be responsible.)

The Articles of Impeachment approved by the House for Senate action accuses the Vice President of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, bribery and other high crimes, based on the following acts:

a) systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to P500 million released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as Education chief
b) amassing unexplained wealth manifestly disproportionate to her lawful income and earnings during her incumbency as a public official
c) failure to fully and truthfully disclose all her and her spouse's assets, liabilities, and net worth in her statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) including in her SALN for the years 2022, 2023, and 2024;
d) failure to divest, and instead, willfully continued, all her business interests during her tenure as vice president for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025
e) giving monetary gifts or payments to DepEd officials to induce the violation and circumvention of procurement and other related laws.
f) contracting for the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former Speaker of the House and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, by making grave threats, and by actively inciting sedition against the republic.

— BM, GMA News