MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Thursday rejected fresh allegations of undisclosed wealth raised during a House of Representatives justice committee hearing on her impeachment case, accusing political forces of orchestrating attacks using state institutions.
In a statement sent to Panay News, Duterte-Carpio said former senator Antonio Trillanes IV has been recycling the same accusations for nearly a decade, dismissing the claims as baseless and politically driven.
“For nearly a decade, Mr. Antonio Trillanes IV has been peddling the same incredible story about alleged billions in bank accounts. From 2016 to 2026, nothing in his narrative has changed,” she said.
She added that while the allegations remain the same, the backing behind them has shifted.
“What has changed, however, is the machinery now backing him,” Duterte-Carpio said, as she pointed to the involvement of administration allies, lawmakers, and certain government institutions.
Duterte-Carpio specifically raised concerns about the role and timing of actions by the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC). She claimed COA issuances appear to coincide with political attacks, while AMLC officials have yet to clarify the absence of findings against her.
“A Commission on Audit that appears to time its issuances in a manner that conveniently aligns with political attacks; and newly-installed AMLC officials who remain silent and refuse to clarify that there have been no findings of violations of anti-money laundering laws, and the billions of peso in bank accounts are untrue,” she said.
“Hindi rin maikakaila ang timing ng lahat ng ito. Ang sunod-sunod na alegasyon at kaso laban sa akin ay nagsimula matapos akong umalis sa Gabinete,” she said, noting that these developments came after she refused to sign a national budget she could not defend.
Duterte-Carpio maintained that her public record is clean and that all her assets have been properly disclosed.
“Simple lang ang sagot ko sa lahat ng paninira. Malinis ang aking service record; hindi ako kailanman nagkaroon ng kaso sa paggamit ng pondo ng bayan. Lahat ng aking ari-arian at pera ay idineklara ko sa aking SALN,” she said.
“Ang bawat sentimo ay mula sa lehitimong pinanggalingan at may kaukulang dokumento,” Duterte-Carpio added. “Ang mga totoong magnanakaw, hindi sa bangko pinapasok ang pera — kundi sa maleta.”
The Vice President further accused the administration of using state institutions for political purposes.
“Mga kababayan, habang lalong lumalalim ang paggamit at pang-aabuso ng administrasyon sa ating mga institusyon para sa pulitika, lalong nahahalata ang kanilang takot na managot,” she said.
She also raised questions on key national issues, including alleged irregularities in flood control spending, rising prices, poverty, peace efforts in Mindanao, foreign policy, and crime.
Duterte-Carpio urged the public to remain focused on broader concerns rather than impeachment proceedings.
“Huwag kayong magpalinlang sa ingay ng impeachment na ito. Dahil ang tunay na laban ay para sa kapakanan ng mga Pilipinong dumadanas at dumaraan sa tuminding hamon ng buhay araw-araw,” she said./PN
