Sara Duterte refuses to take oath at House hearing on fund use | ABS-CBN News

Vice President Sara Duterte refused to take oath as she faced a House panel's first hearing into her office's fund utilization on Wednesday (September 18). Duterte insisted against taking the oath, saying she was merely a resource person, not a witness, as specified in the invitation letter she had received. She found an ally in former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapal Arroyo, who cited an opinion from the late Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago. Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua, chairperson of House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, ultimately allowed Duterte's refusal. The vice president's staff, however, went on to take their oath. Duterte was similarly defiant in her opening statement, accusing the House committee of carrying out a "well-funded coordinated political attack" with the sole aim of "discrediting my name and my office to prevent future politcal contest." "What you are trying to do is make a case for impeachment," she said. "You may try to destroy me, you can skin me alive, and throw my ashes to the wind, but let it be known — you will find me unbound. I will continue to serve the Filipino people no matter the personal cost or political intrigue," she added. For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmgUHWUpi2ioSp4xAP1SmAaf For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmg4pcvfM9a96rbUcLD_0P_U For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgyY1WylJUmi83yKJH8Dv0p_3D4cyZKzV Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch the full episodes of TV Patrol on iWantTFC: http://bit.ly/TVPatrol-iWantTFC Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS Twitter: https://twitter.com/abscbnnews #SaraDuterte #LatestNews #ABSCBNNews