Pinatutsadahan ng isang lider ng Kamara de Representantes ang pahayag ni Vice President Sara Duterte na panalo na siya sa presidential election noong 2022 subalit ipinamigay niya ito.

Ayon kay House Assistant Majority Leader at Taguig City 2nd District Rep. Pammy Zamora ang maging pangulo ng bansa ay isang tadhana o destiny.

“Then why didn’t she run if she had it in the bag? Dapat tumakbo siya [as president],” ani Zamora sa isang press conference sa Kamara nitong Lunes.

“I mean, 2025 na eh, ngayon mo pa sasabihin ‘yan? The presidency, kita naman nating lahat sa history, destiny ‘yan. Eh kung talagang para sa kanya ’yun, then dapat para sa kanya ’yun,” sabi nito.

Ipinagtaka rin ni Zamora kung bakit tumakbo si Duterte sa pagkabise presidente gayong panalo na umano ito sa pagkapangulo.

“Sorry ah, kasi ’di ba, I mean, what was that statement for? Then she should’ve filed to run for president. But she didn’t. She filed to run for vice president, and now she’s our vice president. So, that’s what it is. ’Yun siya,” giit ni Zamora.

Pinasinungalingan din ni Zamora ang paratang na “gaslighting” at “terrorizing” ang ginagawa ng mga kongresista sa Office of the Vice President (OVP) at mga staff nito sa kanilang ginagawang imbestigasyon.

“If there’s smoke, there’s fire,” ani Zamora.

“These hearings started with a speech of Congressman Valeriano, dinala sa committee, nag-hearing,” paliwanag ng lady solon na ang tinutukoy ay ang privilege speech ni Manila 2nd District Rep. Rolando Valeriano na inimbestigahan ng House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

“In the course of those hearings, ang daming lumabas—ang daming acknowledgment receipts—ang daming lumabas na puwede naman sanang sagutin,” sabi pa nito.

Dagdag pa nito, “It’s not gaslighting. Again, it is what it is. Ang dami naming nakikita. In fact, marami pa kaming nakita na hindi pa namin naitatanong. So, hindi siya terrorism on our part. Had they answered the questions from the very beginning, then sana tapos na. Sana ‘yung mga hearings ngayon, tapos na.”

Ganito rin ang sinabi ni House Assistant Majority Leader at Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.

“What we are trying to exercise here is the mandate of the legislature,” ani Adiong. “The only way for us to find out is to hold these inquiries and to hold anybody accountable. ’Yun lang naman talaga ‘yung gusto nating mangyari in aid of legislation.”

Iginiit rin ni Adiong na ang imbestigasyon ay nakatuon sa mga ebidensya at hindi sa sangkot na personalidad.

“It just so happened that the allegations of misuse of public funds are all directed to the office which she occupies right now. Hindi naman ho natin kasalanan ’yun,” dagdag pa ni Adiong.

Naniniwala naman si 1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez na ang pahayag ni Duterte ay naglalayong ilihis ang atensyon ng publiko sa isyu ng hindi maipaliwanag na paggastos ng confidential funds.

“She’s answering the issue by bringing up politics and the presidency, but I think what we have to note here is that this issue goes way back—before the Good Government Committee and before people were talking about whether it’s the presidency or not,” sabi ni Gutierrez.

Sinabi ni Gutierrez na ang imbestigasyon ay nag-ugat sa deliberasyon ng panukalang badyet para sa 2025 kung saan maraming tanong ang hindi nasagot.

“Had they appeared earlier, they had answered questions during the budget [deliberations], baka tapos na po ‘yung ating hearing. We wouldn’t have to come to that committee hearing,” dagdag pa ni Gutierrez.