A House leader on Thursday criticized the post-hearing press conference of Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team as lacking substance, saying it failed to address key questions raised during ongoing impeachment proceedings.
Deputy Speaker and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V described the briefing as “ampaw,” saying the public was left without clear answers on issues involving Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) and financial transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
“Napaka-ampaw ng presscon na iyan—mahaba at maingay, pero nasaan ang direktang mga sagot?” Ortega said. “Sa dami ng seryosong tanong na ibinato, hindi malinaw ang naging pagtugon sa mga isyu.”
Ortega said Duterte and her legal team should address the concerns directly during impeachment hearings rather than through media briefings or social media posts.
He noted that the defense’s position to focus only on transactions from 2022 onward had already been raised, but pointed out that documents from the same period are among those being examined by the House Committee on Justice.
“Kung ang punto ay doon lang sa 2022 pataas, dapat malinaw na ang sagot sa mga isyung lumabas sa panahong iyon,” he said, adding that scrutiny of SALNs during those years includes entries on cash on hand and bank deposits.
The lawmaker also underscored the significance of the P6.7 billion in transactions cited during the hearings, flagged by the AMLC, saying these remain a matter of public interest.
“Ang hinihintay ng publiko ay malinaw na paliwanag sa mga transaksyong na-raise sa pagdinig, kabilang ang mga na-flag na covered at suspicious,” Ortega said. “Kapag ganyang kalalaki ang halaga, natural lang na maghanap ng diretsong sagot ang taumbayan.”
He added that while the press conference focused on procedural explanations, it fell short of addressing the substance of the allegations.
“May mga paliwanag sa proseso, pero ang hinahanap ng publiko ay tugon sa mismong mga tanong,” he said.
Ortega said some issues raised involve serious allegations that require clear, categorical responses, particularly those linked to financial records presented before the panel.
“Kapag may ganitong klaseng alegasyon, mahalagang malinaw ang sagot. Mas mabuti kung direkta kaysa napapalibutan ng paliwanag,” he said.
He emphasized that the public is closely monitoring the proceedings and expects explanations grounded in documentary evidence and testimony presented during the hearings.
“Hindi ito simpleng usapin ng messaging. May mga dokumentong tinatalakay at sinusuri,” Ortega said. “Kapag ganito kabigat ang mga isyu, inaasahan ang malinaw at kumpletong paliwanag.”
As the inquiry continues, Ortega said addressing the substance of the allegations will be key to clarifying the issues.
“Sa huli, ang mahalaga ay masagot ang mga tanong base sa ebidensya,” he said. “Kung walang itinatago, mas madaling maipaliwanag nang direkta.”