Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio gestures during a press briefing at the Cybergate building in Mandaluyong City on September 25, 2024. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/file 

MANILA - Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday took a swipe at several members of the House of Representatives wherein she explained her reasons for refusing to attend House hearings looking into the alleged misuse of her offices’ confidential funds. 

Despite visiting her aide, OVP chief-of-staff Zuleika Lopez, who has been detained at the lower House after she was held for contempt, Duterte has continued to snub the probe being conducted by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability on her alleged fund misuse in the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), which she previously led. 

House cites OVP chief of staff in contempt for undue interference in proceedings

"Why would I answer to Speaker implicated on a bribery case on record in a court case?" Duterte alleged in an online press conference. 

"Why would I answer to a member of  - hanggang ngayon hindi ko alam kung bakit member Ito ng House of Representatives - convicted of child abuse taking IP children doon sa amin sa Davao City dadalhin sa Manla?"

Duterte also mentioned other lawmakers she claimed are answerable to her family.

"Why would I answer to a member of the House of Representatives na ang tatay niya mismo may screen cap ako nagso -sorry sa ginagawa ng anak niya?" she said. 

"Why would I answer to a member of the House of Representatives na mayroong utang sa aking husband (Mans Carpio) ng P9 million dahil sa isang case?"

She did not directly name the lawmakers in her allegations.

The Vice President on Thursday visited Lopez, who has been detained at the House of Representatives after she was cited in contempt by a House panel over “undue interference” in its proceedings.

The visit sparked new tension between her and the chamber, which called her stay there a breach of security especially when Duterte reportedly stayed past 10 p.m. at the office of her brother Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte.

Duterte said she requested permission to be able to visit her aide.

"Nagpaalam ako. It was on paper nung pagpaalam ko," she said. "Kasi nanggaling ako sa Davao City and yung  flight ko arrived 530 p.m. It took me 3 and half hourse to get to Batasan kaya 7 to 10 p.m. ang request ko."

Duterte also denied "invading" the lower House.

"I don’t know kung 'sugod' ang tamang word doon dahli nagpaalam naman ako," she said.

"I’m here because of Usec Lopez. We’ll be here for Gina, for Lemuel for Sunshine and Edward and whoever na manggagaling sa Davao na ipapatawag nila and all the rest the maco-contempt," she added.

"I’ll be here for President (Rodrigo) Duterte, pero I’ll never be here for the House of Representatives especially 'yung may utang na P9 million sa law firm ng husband ko."

House Speaker Martin Romualdez earlier urged Duterte to personally attend the ongoing House investigation into the alleged misuse of her offices’ confidential funds.

The House leader added that Duterte should not pass the responsibility of explaining the funds in question to her subordinates.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro of ACT Teachers Party-List added that if Duterte agreed to take an oath to tell the truth and responded to lawmakers’ questions, her subordinates would not have to face the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.

“Kasalanan niya ‘yan. Huwag niya kaming sisihin, dahil ginusto niya ‘yan, na ang mga staff niya ‘yung sumalang. Siya nga ang pinapasalang namin, ayaw niya mag-take oath,” Castro said.

VP Duterte visits aide detained at House