House Committee on Public Accounts Chairman Terry Ridon described the criminal complaint filed by lawyer Manases Carpio as a move intended to disrupt ongoing scrutiny into financial matters linked to Vice President Sara Duterte.
Ridon said Carpio cannot use his status as a private citizen as a defense to avoid examination of financial records, citing what he described as clear links between Carpio and the financial and legal matters involving his wife.
According to Ridon, Carpio and Duterte file joint income tax returns, and their properties are declared together in their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN). He said these disclosures demonstrate a direct connection to financial records that may be subject to review.
He argued that when income is combined in joint income tax returns and assets are listed in SALN filings, there is sufficient basis to examine the financial transactions of both spouses.
Ridon also emphasized that the issue should not be viewed as a purely personal or isolated matter, pointing instead to what he described as large-scale financial transactions that should be examined in relation to declared assets, net worth and lawful income.
The lawmaker further stated that confidentiality cannot override the constitutional powers of Congress, particularly in the context of an impeachment inquiry.
He added that the complaint filed by Carpio lacks basis and functions as a distraction from addressing the substance of financial records presented during proceedings.
Ridon maintained that the complaint targets the disclosure of financial information rather than responding to the details contained in the records under review.
