PINURI ni Manila Rep. Joel R. Chua, chairman ng House committee on good government and public accountability, ang mabilis at hindi pangkaraniwang aksyon ng Office of the Ombudsman.

Ito ay patunay umano na mabigat ang mga ebidensyang nakalap ng komite laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte at iba pang inaakusahan kaugnay ng iregularidad umano sa paggamit ng confidential funds, ayon kay Chua.

“It is both unusual and significant that the Ombudsman proceeded directly to preliminary investigation and issued subpoenas to the respondents—skipping the usual fact-finding phase—all within the same week that we furnished them with a copy of the Committee Report. This kind of swift response sends a clear signal: the Ombudsman has found prima facie evidence to warrant a preliminary investigation on the basis of the Committee Report,” saad ni Chua.

Ayon pa sa mambabatas, sa pagkakaalam ng komite, wala pang opisyal na reklamo ang inihain maliban sa mismong ulat ng panel na inaprubahan ng plenaryo ng Kamara.

“The Ombudsman acted purely on the strength of our Committee Report. We have not yet even attached or submitted the supporting evidence for the Committee Report. That alone speaks volumes,” dagdag pa ni Chua.

Binanggit din ni Chua ang kapansin-pansing pagbabago sa tono ng Ombudsman.

“Just a few months ago, Ombudsman (Samuel) Martires publicly stated that he saw no grounds to investigate the Vice President. That he now believes otherwise shows that the facts uncovered by our committee could no longer be ignored,” sinabi ni Chua.

Binigyang-diin din ni Chua na nakahanda ang Kamara, sa pamamagitan ng committee on good government and public accountability, na aktibong makilahok sa imbestigasyon.

“Since the Ombudsman has effectively treated our Committee Report as the initiating complaint, we are prepared to fulfill our role as the complainant and ensure the process is based on truth, fairness, and accountability,” aniya.

Kinumpirma rin ni Chua na pormal na hihilingin ng komite ang pagkakataong makapagsumite ng tugon sa counter-affidavits kung at kailan ito ihain ng mga respondent.

Ayon sa kanya, ito ang magiging daan upang maisumite rin ng komite ang buong transcripts at iba pang ebidensyang binanggit sa kanilang ulat.

“The Ombudsman will need to see the evidence supporting the Committee Report. We want to make sure this is not just a speedy process—but a credible one,” diin ni Chua.

“We will cooperate fully to ensure that all parties are given fair and reasonable opportunity to present their side, as we likewise present the truth uncovered through months of legislative inquiry,” dagdag pa niya.

“Ultimately, this is about accountability. We are not rushing to judgment. But we owe the Filipino people a full and impartial investigation—and we are committed to seeing it through,” pagtatapos ni Chua.