Philippines impeaches Vice President Sara Duterte

By Reymund Titong, Feb 5 (Brigada News Philippines): The Philippines House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, after 215 lawmakers signed the complaint, surpassing the required one-third threshold.

By law, only 103 lawmakers must support the complaint for the House to send it to the Senate, where she will face trial.

The Senate Secretary-General has directed the Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau (PRIB) to prepare for the possible transmittal of the impeachment complaints at 7 PM tonight. Once transmitted, senators will hear the complaints about whether to remove her from office.

However, Senate President Francis Escudero denied that the Senate is preparing for the impeachment process. Responding to the PRIB’s statement, he emphasized that the Senate “cannot and will not assume anything until and unless it is a fact.”

He also criticized the remarks, stating that an “over-eager staff” issued them without his authorization and that such statements were neither proper nor official.

Complaints

Lawmakers filed three impeachment complaints accusing Duterte of misusing confidential funds, engaging in graft and corruption, and betraying public trust—offenses that qualify for impeachment under the 1987 Constitution.

Akbayan Party-List Rep. Perci Cendaña led the first complaint, stating that Duterte failed to account for P125 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022.

The complaint also flagged P7 billion in unliquidated cash advances from her tenure as Education Secretary. Former peace adviser Teresita Quintos Deles and Catholic priests Flaviano Villanueva and Robert Reyes supported the complaint, arguing that Duterte weakened congressional oversight by refusing to attend budget hearings.

While, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) filed the second complaint, focusing on the alleged misuse of confidential funds. Bayan Muna chairperson Neri Colmenares asserted that Duterte’s actions already constituted a serious betrayal of public trust.

On the other hand, a coalition of Catholic priests, civil society leaders, and lawyers submitted the third complaint, expanding the charges to include plunder, malversation, bribery, and graft and corruption.

The 70-page document stated that Duterte, while overseeing both the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), personally authorized the release of ₱125 million in confidential funds in 2022 and an additional ₱112.5 million in 2023.

House findings

During House hearings, Gina Acosta, a special disbursing officer of the OVP, testified that she released P125 million in confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, commander of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, in December 2022.

Similarly, DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda testified that he transferred P37.5 million in confidential funds to Col. Dennis Nolasco in early 2023. Both officials confirmed that Duterte directly ordered the transactions.

The House initially withheld the impeachment complaints from Speaker Martin Romualdez while awaiting a possible fourth case.

However, public pressure intensified, with protesters gathering at the EDSA People Power Monument to demand action. Protesters criticized the delay and called for immediate accountability.

With the House securing the impeachment vote, the Senate must now conduct the trial to decide Duterte’s fate.