House Deputy Speaker La Union 1st district Rep. Paolo Ortega V has raised serious doubts about Vice President Sara Duterte's trustworthiness based on the way that she has handled the impeachment proceedings against her.

"Tingin ko babagsak pa ‘yang trust ratings niya. Matagal nang nakabitin ‘yung mga isyu na ‘yan na hindi niya maipaliwanag kasi wala naman siyang sagot diyan. ‘Yan ang nakatanim na sa isipan ng taong bayan, kaya ganyan kalawak ang distrust sa kanya,” Ortega said in a statement Sunday, March 29.

(I think his trust ratings will drop further. Those issues have long been left hanging, and he cannot explain them because he has no answers. That is what has taken root in the minds of the people, which is why the distrust toward him is so widespread.)

The Ilocano was referring to the allegations indicated in the impeachment complaints filed against Duterte, which technically were first raised at the House of Representatives back in December 2024.

“How can Filipinos trust a Vice President, let alone one eyeing the presidency in 2028, if she cannot explain corruption issues that have been hounding her for years?” Ortega asked.

Last Feb. 18, Duterte announced that she would be vying for the Palace seat in the 2028 national elections. This was amid the House imminent initiation of her 2026 impeachment complaints, which ultimately took place five days later.

Duterte has yet to participate in the hearings of the House Committee on Justice since.

The results of a recent Pulse Asia’s Ulat ng Bayan survey showed that over half—or 51.5 percent—of those who distrusted Duterte pointed to her alleged involvement in corruption as the main reason.

Ortega noted that the survey was conducted before Duterte declined the invitation of the justice panel, and prior to the filing of a petition by lawyers identified with the Dutertes before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to halt the House impeachment hearings.

“Kaya ganun ang prediction ko (Thus, my prediction). It takes into account the Vice President’s continued intentional refusal to explain her alleged involvement in corruption, bribery, the threats she made against the President, misuse of hundreds of millions in taxpayers’ money, among other issues; and her efforts to frustrate accountability mechanisms,” he said.

“Mahirap nang burahin sa national consciousness ‘yan. Magpaliwanang man siya kung magkaroon ng Senate trial, too little, too late na. ‘Yan din siguro ang rason kung bakit kakaunti sa ating mga kababayan ang naniniwala na kaya niyang mamuno są ating bayan,” Ortega further said.

(I think that will be difficult to erase from the national consciousness. Even if she explains herself should there be a Senate trial, it would be too little, too late. That is probably also the reason why few of our countrymen believe she is capable of leading our nation.)

If the impeachment complaints further prosper in the House, it will be elevated to the Senate for the conduct of an impeachment trial.

Ortega is among the endorsers of one of the two active impeachment complaints against Duterte.