Malacañang has questioned Vice President Sara Duterte's bid to remove certain documents, including her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs), from the evidence in the impeachment proceedings against her.

Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said the move would only take away her opportunity to clear her name over the allegations against her.

Castro also stressed that the documents were supposed to be the core of the case against her.

"[S]a ating pagkakaalam, ito iyong pinaka-core eh, ito iyong pinaka-meat ng kaso, ng complaint laban sa kaniya tungkol sa diumanong unexplained wealth (As we understand it, this is the core issue—the very substance of the case and the complaint against her regarding alleged unexplained wealth)," Castro said in a Palace briefing on Tuesday, June 23.

"So, kung pinapatanggal niya ito, papaano niyang maipapakita sa bayan na siya ay tuwid at malinis at walang unexplained wealth (So if she wants this removed, how will she be able to show the public that she is honest and clean, and has no unexplained wealth)?" Castro argued.

The impeachment case against the Vice President stems from four consolidated complaints accusing her of various offenses, including the alleged misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, violations involving SALN, bribery, corruption, and controversial public statements directed at President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

Sought for reaction on the accomplishment report released by Duterte for the past year, Castro only had a couple of words.

"Okay. Noted," she said and did not elaborate.

She, however, reacted to Duterte's remarks that public services offered by her office were made challenging by baseless attacks.

"Siguro talagang challenging sa kanya ang mga ganitong klaseng report kasi ang pagri-report sa taumbayan ay hindi naman nakukuha sa numero lamang (Perhaps reports like these are truly challenging for her, because reporting to the public is not something that can be measured by numbers alone)," Castro said.  

"So, tingin natin hindi po natatapos ang pagri-report sa numero lamang na nakikita natin ngayon kung hindi dapat ito ay mabigyan ng basehan kung totoo bang ito ay naipamigay dahil marami na pong naibalita noon na may mga ghost students, ghost vouchers, ghost school materials, ghost food packs (We believe that reporting should not end with the numbers we see now. There must also be a basis for determining whether these were actually delivered or distributed, because there have been many reports in the past involving ghost students, ghost vouchers, ghost school materials, and ghost food packs)," Castro added.

The Palace mouthpiece also responded to the Vice President's claim that whoever criticizes the Marcos administration ends up being suspended.

While Castro refuted this, she took a swipe at Duterte saying "at least they do not end up as victims of extrajudicial killing (EJK)."

"Ang Pangulo, ang administrasyon na ito ay tumutupad sa batas. At least, ang sabi niya ay masu-suspend kung nagki-criticize. Alam naman natin na kinakasuhan lang naman kung nagkakaroon ng fake news, nagpapakalat ng fake news (The President and this administration abide by the law. At least according to her, critics are suspended for criticizing the government. But we know that people are charged only when they spread fake news)," Castro said.

"Kung sinu-suspend, wala pa po akong nabalitaang sinuspend but if ever may ma-suspend, kritiko at least, hindi na-EJK, buhay pa rin (I have not heard of any critic being suspended, but even if a critic were suspended, at least they were not subjected to an extrajudicial killing, they are still alive," she added.