Ridon: Sara Duterte’s focus on my past consultancy shows ‘nervousness’

MANILA, Philippines — Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said on Tuesday that Vice President Sara Duterte’s decision to dig up his past consultancy work with the city government of Davao betrays her nervousness about the impeachment trial.

In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Ridon confirmed that he indeed worked as a consultant for Davao City in 2018, when Duterte was still city mayor, as a consultant for poverty alleviation matters.

READ: Ridon tells critics of Senate ruling: Here’s tissue for your tears

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However, Ridon said he cannot understand why Duterte would now say it as a source of conflict of interest for his current post as public prosecutor for the vice president’s trial before the Senate impeachment court — offering her a tissue to wipe her tears.

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“Very important po na linawin din, ang trabaho ko po ngayon bilang prosecutor ay iba doon sa trabaho ko po dati.  So what is the conflict of interest here?  What does the vice president want, Just because you were a consultant, magsusumamo kami sa kanya, magpapasalamat kami sa kanya dahil tinulungan niya ‘yong buhay ko?  I don’t think so,” Ridon said.

(It’s very important that we clarify: my work as a prosecutor is different from what I did before.  So what is the conflict of interest here?  What does the vice president want, just because you were a consultant, you will come pleading to her, thank her for helping me in my life?  I don’t think so.)

“The prosecution panel will not be distracted by this attack by the vice president; we are in the middle of exposing unexplained wealth […] And katulad ng lagi ho nating ginagawa: Ma’am, ito po ‘yong tissue, punasan ho niyo ‘yong luha niyo, kasi ramdam na ho namin ‘yong kaba,” he added.

(The prosecution panel will not be distracted by this attack by the vice president; we are in the middle of exposing unexplained wealth […] And like I always do: Ma’am, here’s some tissue, dry your tears because we can feel your fear.)

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In a press briefing in Davao City on Tuesday, Duterte was asked about supposed certifications about Ridon’s work in the city that are circulating over social media.  In response, the vice president said that he knew about Ridon’s stint in Davao, but he wanted to wait for the lawmaker to make this revelation himself and admit to an alleged conflict of interest.

“Alam mo, matagal ko na alam ‘yan, hindi ko naman nakalimutan na si Terry Ridon ay nagtrabaho sa city government of Davao, hindi ko lang nilabas, kasi gusto ko na sabihin ni Terry Ridon mismo na meron akong conflict of interest dito, dahil nagtrabaho ako bilang consultant,” Duterte said.

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(You know, I’ve known that for a long time; I cannot forget that Terry Ridon worked for the city government of Davao. I did not release it because I want Terry Ridon himself to say that I have a conflict of interest here, because I worked as a consultant.)

“Sa Philippine Commission for Urban Poor, pinalayas siay doon, tapos he (Ridon) came crawling to a Dabawenyo na kakilala niya,” she added.  “Sabi no’ng tao na I trust kasi maayos naman magtrabaho ‘yong tao na ‘yon, I trusted him, sabi niya maayos magtrabaho ‘yan […] Oh my God, it turns out nothing at all, walang sinubmit ‘yan na trabaho,” she added.

(He was kicked from the Sa Philippine Commission for Urban Poor, then he (Ridon) came crawling to a Davaoeño he knew.  The person whom I trust said that person works well; I trusted him because he said so […] Oh my God, it turns out nothing at all; he did not submit any work.)

Ridon however asked Duterte what she wants to do with him — whether the vice president desires that he bow down to her being a former consultant.

“So what is the conflict of interest matter that the Vice President is actually talking about?  Unless ang gusto niya sabihin, na por que’t tao ka dati, por que’t consultant ka dati, dapat nagsusumamo ka sa mga Duterte.  Parang hindi ho ata tama ‘yon,” Ridon said in a subsequent press briefing.

(So what is the conflict of interest matter that the Vice President is actually talking about?  Unless what she wants to say is because you were under me before, you were a consultant, you should plead before the Dutertes.  I don’t think that’s proper.)

“I mean, the impeachment is more than me, more than the people here today.  But we feel it betrays her actual nervousness on the matter, well, I show it earlier, and I will show it again: Madam vice president, may tissue ho dito, para po sa inyo,’ he added.

According to Ridon, he would have not taken the job if he knew of the issues surrounding the Dutertes.

“Kasi at that time hindi naman ho natin alam na merong P4.4 billion in total transactions over the course of 20 years.  And if I had known then, probably I would have opted out on that particular engagement,” he noted.

(Because at that time we did not know that there were P4.4 billion in total transactions over the course of 20 years.  And if I had known then, probably I would have opted out on that particular engagement.)

Ridon and the Dutertes share an uncanny relationship.

After Duterte’s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte won the 2016 presidential race, Ridon — a former lawmaker of Kabataan party-list, was tapped to head the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP).

Ridon’s appointment was announced in August 2016.  However, in just a little over a year, in December 2017, the older Duterte announced that he fired all PCUP commissioners for Ridon’s alleged frequent junkets.

“I have no personal reasons to fire him except you had too much, too soon. He was appointed September and he traveled about seven times. To think the office is an urban poor agency,” the former president said in December 2017.

“I simply cannot … I cannot understand why you have to be there at every powwow in the international scene. We cannot afford it,” he added.

Ridon, however, clarified that the agency had submitted reports of its programs and activities to Malacañang, contrary to what former President Duterte said.

READ: Urban poor commission kept Duterte informed, says axed chief

Ridon’s consultancy gig with Davao City under the younger Duterte came afterward.  But in 2025, after his return to the House of Representatives during the 20th Congress, Ridon became one of the staunchest critics of the Dutertes, calling out the former president for the past administration’s drug war, and the vice president over the confidential fund issue.

Eventually, Ridon became a central figure in the impeachment discussions, quizzing resource persons at the House Committee on Justice clarificatory hearings on the complaints against Vice President Duterte, and was even named one of the public prosecutors.

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Ridon currently co-leads the prosecution’s team handling Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, or the allegations that Duterte has unexplained wealth not declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth. /jpv