Photo credit: Congress PH

Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union on Wednesday pushed back against claims from Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team that there is “no smoking gun” in the impeachment case, questioning whether they had closely followed the House hearings.

“What do they mean there is no smoking gun? Did they even watch the hearings? Maybe their TV was muted, or they were just fast-forwarding,” Ortega said.

He added that if the defense failed to see the evidence, the issue may not lie in the case itself but in their interpretation of what was already presented.

“If they cannot see the evidence, maybe the problem is not with the case. It could be with their perception, attention, or selective memory,” he said.

“Built on evidence, not politics”

Ortega stressed that the impeachment complaint transmitted by the House of Representatives was not based on speculation, political noise, or public opinion, but on documented and sworn evidence.

He cited testimonies under oath, official records, Commission on Audit (COA) findings, financial documents, certifications, and statements made by the Vice President herself.

“You do not secure a 257–25 vote in the House based on speculation alone. This is not gossip, memes, or social media chain messages. This is a constitutional process supported by evidence,” he said.

“Evidence already laid out in hearings”

Ortega said the defense appears to be dismissing a wide body of material already presented in multiple congressional hearings.

He pointed to COA findings, issues surrounding confidential funds, witness testimonies, financial records, documented transactions, and official statements as part of the record.

“The smoking guns were already laid out one after another,” he said.

He also criticized what he described as attempts to downplay the proceedings.

“Why pretend there is no smoke when alarms are already going off?” Ortega said.

He added that the legal standard being demanded by the defense appears unrealistic.

“Maybe they are expecting someone holding a smoking gun while posing for a selfie. That is not how legal proceedings work,” he said.

“Let the Senate trial decide”

Ortega emphasized that the proper venue to evaluate the evidence is the Senate impeachment court, urging the Vice President’s camp not to undermine the process before it begins.

“If they believe the case is weak, they should welcome the trial instead of trying to discredit it beforehand,” he said.

“If they truly believe there is no case, they should not act as if they are allergic to a Senate trial,” he added.

He also noted that the public has already been exposed to the hearings and can form its own judgment.

“The Filipino people are not blind. They saw the hearings and heard the testimony,” he said.

House impeaches Duterte, sends case to Senate

The comments came after the House of Representatives officially impeached Duterte on Monday with a 257–25 vote, transmitting the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.

Out of 318 members, only 106 votes were required. A total of 257 lawmakers voted in favor, 25 voted against, and 9 abstained.

The impeachment case includes four major allegations: misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, bribery, and grave threats.

The first article centers on alleged irregular use of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, flagged in Commission on Audit reports.

It also references findings from the National Bureau of Investigation regarding questionable acknowledgment receipts, and Philippine Statistics Authority certifications indicating that some listed beneficiaries reportedly do not exist.

The second article focuses on alleged unexplained wealth, SALN discrepancies, and financial transactions, including claims raised by the Anti-Money Laundering Council involving large-scale activity over several years.

The third article accuses Duterte of bribery tied to alleged cash distributions to Department of Education officials, based on testimonies from former senior education officials.

The fourth article involves alleged grave threats, including Duterte’s controversial November 2024 remarks in which she claimed she had commissioned an assassin to target President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

As the impeachment moves toward trial, Ortega said the issue is no longer about political rhetoric but about evidence that will now be tested in the Senate impeachment court.