The explanation offered by Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team over her financial disclosures drew sharp criticism Friday from a Bicol lawmaker, who said it raises more questions than it answers.
Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said the defense’s position — that Duterte’s bank deposits were categorized under “others” in her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) — fails to hold up against disclosure standards that require specificity and transparency from public officials.
“Cash in bank is a basic asset — it cannot be buried under ‘others’ without raising serious questions,” Ridon said. “The SALN is a sworn legal document. It must be clear, detailed, and without concealment.”
The issue surfaced after the House committee on justice received Duterte’s SALNs on Wednesday, which showed she declared zero cash on hand or in the bank from 2019 to 2024 — a period during which her reported net worth rose significantly. Her declared wealth stood at P7.25 million in 2007, reached P71.06 million by 2022 when she assumed the vice presidency, and climbed further to P88.51 million in 2024.
Attorney Michael Poa, speaking for Duterte’s defense panel Thursday, maintained that the bank cash entries were present in the documents, only grouped differently. “She disclosed because it was all lumped under the others,” Poa said at a media briefing.
Ridon dismissed that position as inadequate, saying it does not resolve the apparent inconsistency between steadily rising wealth and the absence of any declared cash holdings in the same filings.
“If you’re going to make excuses, at least think them through,” he said in Filipino. “It’s insulting to treat all Filipinos as fools.”
The congressman added that the “others” categorization, if used to absorb a liquid asset like bank cash, may already constitute a breach of public trust — a point he said lawmakers are now factoring into their assessment of impeachment grounds against the vice president.
“You cannot hide a clear asset behind the word ‘others,'” Ridon said.
