Sara’s 2028 Ambitions Clash with Boying’s SALN Sucker Punch

Will Boying’s SALN Blitz Bury Sara’s Electoral Hopes?

By Louis ‘Barok‘ C. Biraogo — October 14, 2025

Setting the Stage for a Pivotal Legal Confrontation

A Manila courtroom morphs into a Wild West showdown, where Vice President Sara Duterte, armed with defiance and a prayer, squares off against Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, his badge gleaming with promises of transparency. This isn’t a mere legal tiff—it’s a high-stakes duel, with Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) as the smoking guns and P612 million in shadowy funds as the bounty. Duterte’s taunt—”study my SALN properly”—is less an olive branch, more a dare to draw first. Remulla, the new sheriff, vows to fling open the SALN vaults and probe allegations that could bury her 2028 presidential dreams. Is this justice’s last stand, or the opening shot in a 2028 electoral massacre?

The Legal Corral: Where Ombudsmen Wield Constitutional Six-Shooters

The Office of the Ombudsman, under Republic Act No. 6770 (the Ombudsman Act of 1989), is no paper tiger—it’s a constitutional juggernaut. Empowered by Article XI, Section 13 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, it can investigate any public official, subpoena records, and prosecute with the zeal of a revivalist preacher. The SALN, mandated by Republic Act No. 6713 (Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees Act), is the public’s window into an official’s wealth, a truth serum for rooting out unexplained riches. Section 8 demands annual filings, public access, and penalties for deceit. Remulla’s kicked open the saloon doors, vowing to make SALNs public and scrutinize Duterte’s P612 million in confidential funds. The town’s watching, but is he a hero or a hired gun?

Dueling Narratives: Crusader or Conspirator?

Remulla as the White-Hatted Watchdog

Remulla paints himself as the avenging angel of accountability, vowing to restore the Ombudsman’s anti-graft glory. His plan to unshackle SALNs aligns with RA 6713‘s mandate for public disclosure, reversing the secrecy of yesteryears under former Ombudsman Samuel Martires. His probe into Duterte’s P612 million—P500 million from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million from the Department of Education (DepEd)—is framed as a righteous quest to honor Republic Act No. 6770‘s investigative powers. The Supreme Court, in Montero v. Office of the Ombudsman (G.R. No. 239827, 2022), grants the Ombudsman near-untouchable discretion to chase probable cause, only stepping in for “grave abuse.” Remulla’s not just probing; he’s waving a flag of transparency in a nation choking on corruption’s dust. Or so he claims.

Remulla as Marcos’s Hired Gun

But hold your applause—this sheriff’s badge is tarnished. Remulla, fresh from his stint as Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary, drags a trail of complaints filed by Duterte’s allies, including Davao City’s Acting Mayor Sebastian Duterte. Senator Imee Marcos’s accusation—”jail before 2028″—casts him as a Marcos lackey, wielding the Ombudsman’s gavel to smash political rivals. His past boasts of “bending but not breaking the law” as DOJ chief raise eyebrows: is this a man of principle or a legal contortionist? Appointed amid whispers of a rigged Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) process, Remulla’s crusade smells like a political hit job, with Duterte as the bullseye. The Ombudsman’s supposed impartiality, enshrined in RA 6770, looks more like a punchline than a promise.

Duterte’s Dance on the Razor’s Edge: Defiance or Doom?

Shredding Sara’s Sanctimonious Shield

Sara Duterte’s challenge to “properly review” her SALN is a theatrical flourish, dripping with sarcasm and wrapped in a prayer: “Let’s leave him to God.” Charming, but the law doesn’t bow to divine deflection. Her P612 million in confidential funds—P125 million allegedly burned in 11 days with suspect receipts—sits under a microscope. RA 6713 demands truthful SALNs, and People v. Sandiganbayan (G.R. No. 167304, 2009) warns that unaccounted funds trigger a presumption of malversation under Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code. Her “trust in God” shtick dodges a brutal truth: public funds need receipts, not rosaries. Is she hiding unexplained wealth, à la Chief Justice Corona’s 2012 impeachment? Or just bureaucratic sloppiness? Her coy “in my own time” response reeks of evasion, not exoneration.

Her Defenses, Briefly Noted, Swiftly Dismantled

Duterte’s entitled to due process, presumption of innocence, and a claim that confidential funds were for legitimate intelligence work, shielded by Republic Act No. 3019 (Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act)’s confidentiality clauses. She’s filed a counter-affidavit, crying political persecution. Fair enough. But legal defenses demand transparency, not theatrics. RA 6713 and Supreme Court Affirms Conviction of Ex-Dapitan City Mayor (G.R. No. 254076, 2024) require clear liquidation, not vague promises. Her persecution narrative might woo her Davao base, but courts don’t run on sympathy. Show the paper trail, or the Sandiganbayan will pen its own verdict.

The Fallout: A Republic Ripped at the Seams

This isn’t just a Duterte-Remulla brawl; it’s the implosion of the Marcos-Duterte “Uniteam,” a 2022 alliance now crumbling like a bad sitcom. Imee Marcos’s accusations expose family fractures, with 2028’s presidential race looming like a storm cloud. A successful prosecution under RA 3019 could suspend or disqualify Duterte, gutting her candidacy and reshaping the electoral landscape. But a botched or biased probe could martyr her, rallying her southern strongholds and fueling anti-Marcos fury. The Ombudsman’s office, meant to be a bastion of impartiality under RA 6770, risks becoming a political piñata, eroding trust in institutions already battered by dynastic feuds. SALN disclosures, if mishandled, could spark privacy lawsuits under the Data Privacy Act of 2012. If they reveal damning discrepancies, expect protests—or worse. The republic’s watching, and it’s not holding its breath.

The Final Gavel: Justice or Just Another Power Grab?

Back to our Wild West showdown, where the dust hasn’t settled. Remulla’s wielding RA 6770‘s mighty powers, backed by Uy v. Sandiganbayan (G.R. Nos. 105965-70, 2001), but his legitimacy hinges on proving he’s no Marcos puppet. Duterte’s defiance, while crowd-pleasing, invites a scrutiny she can’t sidestep with prayers or pressers. The SALNs, soon to be public under RA 6713, could be a dud—or a dynamite stick. A single hidden asset, a mismatched peso, could ignite a legal inferno. Will the Philippines see a triumph of accountability, or a descent into legal warfare where justice is just collateral damage? As those SALN pages turn, what skeletons will tumble out, and who’ll be left standing when the smoke clears?