House panel demands VP Sara’s SALNs, summons Madriaga at impeach hearing kickoff

MANILA, Philippines – It was subpoenas galore during the first hearing on the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, March 25.

The House justice committee acted on numerous motions ordering various personalities to testify before the committee, and compelling various government agencies to produce documents and records related to the investigation.

Among those invited to attend the hearing are:

• Ramil Madriaga, the former aide of Duterte who claimed he had coordinated with her security officers in the delivery of wads of cash, presumably confidential funds, to various individuals 
• Cynthia Viñas-Pantonal, the lawyer who notarized Madriaga’s affidavit
• Gloria Camora, team leader at the Commission on Audit office that looked into Duterte’s confidential expenditures
• Michael Poa, former Department of Education (DepEd) undersecretary and Office of the Vice President spokesperson

In addition, the House committee also sought additional protection for Madriaga, who claimed that his life inside Camp Bagong Diwa is in danger.

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The committee also asked several agencies the following:

• To the Office of the Ombudsman: Duterte’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2007 to 2013, 2016 to 2019, and 2022 to 2025
• To the National Bureau of Investigation: Records of investigation into the apparent threat to life by Duterte against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his family
• To COA: Documents related to Duterte’s confidential expenses
• To the House’s legislative library archives division: Transcripts and recordings of good government committee hearings
• To the Philippine Statistics Authority: Original copies of certifications related to the live birth, marriage, and death of several names submitted by OVP and DepEd in their liquidation reports on confidential funds
• To the Bureau of Internal Revenue: Tax compliance and reported income of Duterte and her spouse Manases Carpio, and various business entities
• To BIR: Original or certified true copies of the annual income tax returns and other related documents of Duterte and her spouse from 2007 to 2025
• To the Securities and Exchange Commission: Certified true copies of General Information Sheet of business entities linked to Duterte

Most of the motions were approved following a vote, with only Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Representative Rufus Rodriguez opposing them.

Echoing Duerte’s defense, Rodriguez claimed that the investigation is a “fishing expedition” because the committee is asking for documents outside of her role as vice president.

Rodriguez also called Madriaga a “polluted source,” a statement that was removed from the records after a motion by Senior Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima.

Before the committee acted on the motions, it spent more than two hours discussing ground rules.

Duterte, as expected, skipped Wednesday’s hearing.

“While the invitation for the respondent and counsel to participate in the committee’s mini-trial is well-noted, we cannot, however, do so at this point on the ground that the committee and/or the House of Representatives, as well as any of its members, lack jurisdiction to to conduct any form of trial,” read the letter of Duterte’s lawyers to the justice committee. 

“It’s very unfortunate that the respondent herself is disrespecting the proceedings before this committee,” De Lima said on Wednesday.

The two petitions separately endorsed by Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega, human rights committee chair Bienvenido Abante, and De Lima cited numerous grounds for impeachment, such as culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

The alleged offenses include her alleged misuse of confidential funds, her alleged fabrications of submissions to state auditors, her alleged bribery of education officials, her alleged unexplained wealth, and her apparent threats to the life of President Marcos and his family.

The House has 60 session days from February 23 to resolve the complaints. If the committee report favors the move to impeach, a one-third vote in the House plenary will send the case to the Senate for a full trial.

Only a Senate conviction can result in Duterte’s removal and disqualification from public office. – Rappler.com