House leaders rebuke VP Sara’s ‘politically motivated’ defense, insist mounting evidence against her is based on official records Mary Grace Piatos’ OVP document is genuine

House leaders issued a strong rebuke of Vice President Sara Duterte’s repeated dismissal of the House investigation into her alleged mismanagement of hundreds of millions in government funds, which she has labeled as “politically motivated.”

They argued that Duterte’s insistence that “no wrongdoing has been proven” appears to be a diversion tactic to sidestep the core issue of transparency and accountability, especially as the documents under scrutiny are based on official records from the Commission on Audit (COA).

“This is not about politics. This is about accountability and transparency,” said Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, which is investigating the alleged misuse of public funds by Vice President Duterte, particularly the confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) amounting to P500 million in the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million in the Department of Education (DepEd) when Duterte was head of the agency.

Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez, chair of the Committee on Public Order and Safety, dismissed Duterte’s claims of political motivation as a familiar and convenient excuse to avoid scrutiny.

“The easiest way to evade issues is to call them ‘politically motivated.’ In government, politics is part of the landscape. Accountability and transparency cannot be dismissed by simply invoking politics,” Fernandez argued, as he urged Duterte to address the inquiry rather than deflecting it with rhetoric that sidesteps the committee’s mandate.

Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun also countered Duterte’s claims that the records under review were “fake,” noting that the documents came directly from the COA.

“[COA] ang nagbigay sa committee, kaya hindi pwedeng sabihin ni VP Sara na peke ‘yun. Katulad ni Mary Grace Piatos. Sila ang naglagay ng pangalan doon, alam naman natin na hindi totoo ‘yun, gawa-gawa na lang nila ‘yun,” Khonghun said, referring to a name listed in the OVP’s liquidation report, which appears to be non-existent.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, chair of the Committee on Dangerous Drugs, clarified that the objective of the inquiry is not to declare guilt but to pursue accountability.

“We’re not here to pass judgment. But when public funds are involved, it is our duty to investigate and ensure accountability,” Barbers said, urging Duterte’s office to cooperate fully in the spirit of transparency.

1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez also questioned Duterte’s ongoing attempts to evade scrutiny, recalling how her office previously dismissed confidential funds inquiries during budget hearings as inappropriate.

“We already wanted to discuss confidential funds during the budget hearings, but they argued it was not the right venue. Now, with the proper committee overseeing the investigation, she still claims it’s politically motivated,” Gutierrez noted.

He further emphasized that the COA’s flagging of the OVP’s confidential funds expenditures is unprecedented, underscoring the necessity of the committee’s investigation to protect public funds.