Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando said the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is fundamentally about public accountability, stressing that elected officials must answer questions raised by the people who voted for them.

Speaking during the DAILY TRIBUNE program Straight Talk on Wednesday, San Fernando said his vote to impeach Duterte was guided by the principle that public officials should be transparent in the performance of their duties.

"As elected representatives and officials of the country, we are accountable to those that voted for us. And when they have questions for us, we must answer them," he said.

San Fernando acknowledged that some of his constituents expected him to oppose the impeachment because of his criticism of the current administration, particularly on labor-related policies.

However, he said the impeachment trial provides the proper constitutional forum for Duterte to respond to the allegations against her.

"The prime opportunity for the Vice President and her camp to really clarify, clear her name and all the allegations attached to the OVP, to her office and to her name as VP Sara Duterte is through the impeachment trial," he said.

The lawmaker also lamented that many Filipinos have focused on peripheral issues surrounding the proceedings instead of the evidence being presented.

"We are all missing the point. The matters being highlighted are trivial matters... The point is people want answers. The workers, ordinary Filipinos, we want answers and we are not focusing on that," he said.

According to San Fernando, the public is primarily interested in knowing how taxpayers' money has been spent by government officials.

He also said public skepticism stems from the perception that lawmakers themselves are not held to the same standards of transparency expected of the Vice President.

To address what he described as a double standard, San Fernando challenged fellow lawmakers to voluntarily waive bank secrecy and publicly disclose their Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs).

"I challenge them. Let us all sign a bank secrecy waiver and let the public see our bank accounts," he said.

"Let the public see our SALN. The problem at the House of Representatives, not even the majority of congressmen publicize our SALN."