Photo credit: Congress PH

The chair of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is pushing back hard against the latest defense from Vice President Sara Duterte, saying the issue is no longer about spin—but about what official records already show.

Manila Rep. Joel Chua on Sunday dismissed claims from Duterte’s camp, voiced through lawyer Michael Poa, that financial figures flagged in the hearings were “bloated.” For Chua, that argument sidesteps the real concern: the apparent gap between massive bank transactions and what was actually declared in the vice president’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

“No matter how you spin billions in transactions, one thing remains clear—none of these were declared in her SALN,” Chua said in Filipino. He added that explanations about small transactions accumulating over time fail to answer the central question: why they were not disclosed at all.

Chua, who also sits as a member of the House Committee on Justice, said the defense is blurring what he described as a straightforward issue backed by documents. As a fellow lawyer, he noted, Poa should recognize when evidence points to a serious red flag.

“You should know a smoking gun when it’s right in front of you,” Chua said. “But instead of addressing it, they’re creating more smoke so the public won’t see how deep the problem goes.”

For the lawmaker, what’s unfolding is a familiar tactic—diverting attention away from key findings raised during the hearings. He pointed out that even allegations earlier raised by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV have not been directly addressed with counter-evidence.

“They keep shifting the discussion—to mechanics, presentation, wording—anything but the core issue,” Chua said. “Calling something ‘bloated’ without proof doesn’t answer anything.”

At its core, Chua said, the issue is simple enough for the public to grasp without legal jargon. Large volumes of bank transactions were flagged, yet Duterte’s SALN reportedly showed no declared cash on hand or bank deposits during certain years.

“Documents don’t lie,” he stressed. “But up to now, the vice president has not clearly said whether her SALN was truthful or not.”

Chua also warned that the continued reliance on press statements, rather than documentary rebuttal or personal appearance in hearings, could further weaken the vice president’s position. He noted that Duterte has yet to directly address the issues before the House Committee on Justice.

“As long as they don’t answer with documents, as long as it’s just press releases, and as long as she doesn’t show up to respond under oath, the hole only gets deeper,” he said.

Still, Chua clarified that lawmakers are not equating transaction volume with total wealth. The issue, he emphasized, is about transparency and legal obligation.

“No one is saying gross transactions automatically equal net worth,” he explained. “But if that much money is moving, why declare zero liquid assets in years when full disclosure is required?”

For Chua, the matter ultimately goes beyond numbers—it touches on public trust. Filing a SALN, he said, is not a mere formality but a constitutional duty that applies to all public officials, including the highest in office.

“It’s sacred,” he said. “And when that duty is violated, it’s not just a legal issue—it’s a breach of the public’s trust.”