KINONDENA ni House Deputy Majority Leader at La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V si Vice President Sara Duterte sa hindi nito pagsipot matapos padalhan ng subpoena ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) kaugnay ng isinasagawa nitong imbestigasyon sa kanyang pagbabanta kay Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“By refusing to comply with the subpoena, she is sending a message: ‘The law doesn’t apply to me.’ That is not leadership. That is arrogance,” ani Ortega.

“Her refusal is an insult to every ordinary Filipino who follows the law. If an ordinary citizen ignored a subpoena, he would face consequences immediately,” dagdag pa nito.

“Why should the Vice President be any different?” tanong ni Ortega.

Ipinatawag ng NBI Si Duterte kaugnay ng sinabi nito sa press conference na may kinausap ito para patayin sina Pangulong Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos at Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez kapag siya ay namatay.

Sa naunang panayam, sinabi ni Duterte na hindi ito dadalo sa patawag sa kanya ng NBI dahil pupunta ito sa pagdinig ng House committee on good government and public accountability na nag-iimbestiga sa umano’y maling paggamit nito ng kabuuang P612.5 milyong confidential fund nito.

Pero inanunsyo ng komite na pinamumunuan ni Manila Rep. Joel Chua na kanselado na ang pagdinig noong araw na iyon upang makadalo si Duterte sa patawag ng NBI.

“The Vice President’s decision to ignore the NBI is not just disrespectful; it is a direct challenge to our justice system. If the second-highest official can get away with this, what’s stopping others from doing the same? This sets a terrible example for our country,” sabi ni Ortega.

Ayon sa mambabatas, hindi magandang tingnan ang ginawa ni Duterte kahit siya pa ang bise presidente ng bansa.

“The law is supposed to protect everyone equally. But how can people trust the system when leaders like the Vice President treat it as a joke? It’s as if there’s one set of rules for the powerful and another for the rest of us,” sabi nito.

Nanawagan ang lider ng Kamara sa NBI na gumawa ng mga nararapat na hakbang at huwag magpasindak kay Duterte.

“The NBI cannot allow this defiance to go unpunished. The Filipino people are watching. If we let this pass, we’re telling every citizen that justice depends on who you are, not on what you’ve done.

That’s not the Philippines we want to build,” sabi pa nito.

Nanawagan din si Ortega sa ikalawang pangulo na pagnilay-nilayan ang kanyang responsibilidad bilang isang opisyal ng gobyerno na naglilingkod dapat sa sambayanang Pilipino.

“Leadership means accountability. It means showing up, even when it’s uncomfortable. VP Duterte needs to stop acting like she’s above the law and start respecting the very institutions she’s supposed to uphold. That’s the least the Filipino people deserve,” sabi ng solon.

“If she continues to defy the law, she’s not just undermining the NBI; she’s undermining the entire justice system. We cannot allow anyone, no matter how powerful, to act as if the law is optional.

The rule of law must prevail, or we risk losing it altogether,” dagdag pa nito.