Ombudsman ready to hand VP’s SALN

THE ANTI-GRAFT body said Thursday it is prepared to furnish Congress with all available statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) of Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio in its records.

“It’s part of the constitutional process that we have,” Ombudsman Jesus Crispin C. Remulla said in a livestreamed news briefing. “It’s the legal process. And we just abide by the rules and the law when it comes to impeachment proceedings. We just follow the law.”

The move comes after the House Committee on Justice issued a subpoena on Wednesday for certified true copies of Ms. Duterte’s SALNs. The committee is examining allegations of unexplained wealth as part of its determination of probable cause for impeachment, reviewing documents that span nearly two decades of her public service, including her terms as Davao City vice-mayor (2007-2013), Davao City mayor (2016-2022), and Vice-President (2022-2025).

The committee has also subpoenaed Ramil L. Madriaga — a witness in the impeachment proceedings currently detained on unrelated charges — to testify and provide evidence on April 14. Mr. Madriaga has alleged the Vice-President misused confidential funds and acted as “bagman.” Ms. Duterte has denied his claims, calling them “noise” and filing a perjury complaint against him.

The Ombudsman became involved after Mr. Madriaga submitted a sworn affidavit in late 2025 requesting a formal investigation into alleged corrupt activities by Ms. Duterte. 

“Our job is just to pass on the information we can obtain for the impeachment. After all, the senior deputy speaker visited us and spoke with us to request help on this matter,” Mr. Remulla said in Filipino.

He added, “It is our duty to comply with requests for assistance from various government agencies. Congress is one of them.”

The compliance follows a major policy change in October 2025, when Mr. Remulla lifted strict restrictions on SALN access imposed by his predecessor, making notarized consent from officials no longer required for the release of their documents. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking