Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua has chided Vice President Sara Duterte's defenders for supposedly missing the biggest ommission exposed by the House Justice Committee hearing Tuesday, April 23--that the impeachment respondent declared zero cash on hand and zero cash in bank in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

This, even as her net worth increased year after year, and as the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) confirmed details of multi-billion-peso translations allegedly linked to the Vice President's accounts.

Chua, a member of the justice panel zeroed in on Davao City 3rd district Rep. Isidro Ungab's argument for the respondent that the issue should be limited to around P63.8 million during Duterte’s vice presidential years, instead of the bigger P3.92-billion figure.

“Ang punto dito ay hindi kung alin sa dalawang halaga ang paniniwalaan. Kahit alin pa diyan, nananatili ang tanong: bakit zero ang dineclare mong cash on hand at cash in bank sa SALN mo mula 2019?” Chua asked.

(The point here is not which of the two amounts one should believe. Whichever it may be, the question remains: why did you declare zero cash on hand and cash in bank in your SALN since 2019?)

For Chua, the matter ultimately boils down to a principle that applies across all workers in government:

“Hindi ito laban ng malaki o maliit na halaga. Ito ay laban ng pantay na pagpapatupad ng batas. Walang special rule sa SALN—kahit sino ka pa (This is not a fight over big or small amounts. This is a fight for equal enforcement of the law. There is no special rule in the SALN—no matter who you are).

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

Chua emphasized that the issue is not about the size of the transactions but about truthful and complete disclosure in a sworn statement required of all public officials.

“It is a violation of the sanctity of the SALN. Hindi ito usapin ng interpretation—ito ay usapin ng pagsunod sa malinaw na obligasyon sa batas (This is not a matter of interpretation—it is a matter of complying with a clear legal obligation),” he said.

“Yung mga simpleng empleyado ng gobyerno—kahit maliit ang kita—nagde-declare ng tama sa kanilang SALN. At kapag nagkamali sila, napaparusahan agad—nasususpinde o natatanggal sa serbisyo,” he further said.

(Ordinary government employees—even with small incomes—declare correctly in their SALN. And when they make mistakes, they are punished immediately—suspended or dismissed from service.)

Ungab, in a statement, said, "An AMLC report is not a conviction. It is not proof of plunder. It is not proof of malversation. It is not proof that public funds entered a personal account."

He also described the House proceedings as "theater". "The House is asking the public to be shocked by big numbers. But impeachment is not supposed to be a guessing game. It requires proof, connection, and accountability," said the Duterte ally.

For Chua, high-ranking officials like the Vice President shouldn't be exempted from simple, lawful task of truthful disclosure via the annual SALN.

“Ngayon, kapag Vice President ka ba, exempted ka na sa rule na ito? May ibang standard ba para sa mataas na opisyal? (Now, if you are the Vice President, are you exempt from this rule? Is there a different standard for high officials?)"

According to Chua, Ungab’s framing of the issue amplifies the credibility gap, because even the smaller figure being cited still has to be reconciled with six consecutive SALNs reflecting no liquid assets.

“Kahit sa sarili nilang argumento, may bank transactions ka habang zero ang dineclare mong cash. Hindi nagtutugma. At ‘yan ang hindi nila masagot nang diretso (Even by their own argument, there are bank transactions while zero cash was declared. It does not match. And that is what they cannot answer directly)."

Chua noted that records presented before the Committee on Justice showed that Duterte’s SALNs from 2019 to 2024 consistently reported no cash on hand or in bank, even as her net worth increased year after year.

“That pattern is what gives weight to the AMLC findings. Hindi lang ito galaw ng pera—kundi ang malinaw na disconnect sa sinumpaang deklarasyon (This is not just about money movement—but the clear disconnect with the sworn declaration),” he said.

The Manila lawmaker warned the public against being distracted by attempts to reduce the issue to competing figures.

“Ang SALN hindi press release, hindi spin, at hindi puwedeng selective ang disclosure. Kung may pumapasok at lumalabas na pera sa system, obligasyon mong ilagay ‘yan sa SALN mo,” Chua said.

(The SALN is not a press release, not spin, and disclosure cannot be selective. If money is entering and leaving the system, you are obliged to put that in your SALN.)