There's a glaring reason why Makabayan solon ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio suspects that impeachment respondent Vice President Sara Duterte's statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) were not properly executed.

In two words: copy-paste.

During the House Committee on Justice's hearing Wednesday, April 22 on the determination of probable cause in the two active impeachment complaints against Vice President Duterte, Tinio raised serious questions on the correctness and completeness of the lady official's SALN filings.

The Office of the Ombudsman confirmed in the hearing that multiple SALN years reflected exactly the same declared amounts for real and personal assets, as well as the same enumerated personal properties.

During clarificatory questioning, Tinio pointed out that the Vice President’s declared real assets and personal assets for 2019 and 2020 were identical, and that the declared personal assets for 2021 and 2022 were also identical.

The Ombudsman further confirmed identical real asset declarations for 2009 to 2011 and for 2016 and 2017.

“This pattern strongly suggests that the Vice President’s SALNs may not have been properly accomplished and filed,” Tinio said.

“If you have multiple years with exactly the same totals and the same items—down to the last peso—then the public is entitled to ask if these were accurately prepared, or if this was simply repeated or copied without proper updating," noted the House deputy minority leader.

Tinio called on the Vice President to directly address the discrepancies, disclose complete and consistent records, and stop evading accountability processes. The respondent was a no-show Wednesday, as well as during the two other previous hearings.

“Pinakamadaling linawin ito kung haharap at magpapaliwanag nang diretso. Ipakita ang kumpletong SALN at suportang dokumento, at itigil ang pag-iwas sa pananagutan," Tinio said.

(This can be clarified most easily if one faces the public and explains directly. Show the complete SALN and supporting documents, and stop evading accountability.)

Tinio said Congress and the public must remain vigilant and ensure that accountability processes are driven by evidence, transparency, and the public interest.

Vice President Duterte's impeachment is being sought--among other reasons--for her alleged unexplained wealth and discrepancies in her SALN.