A group comprising Catholic priests, civil society leaders, and legal professionals has initiated a third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte. The complaint, lodged at the House of Representatives, accuses her of misusing confidential funds during her time as the head of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd). The allegations include constitutional violations, betrayal of public trust, plunder, malversation, bribery, and other serious offenses.
The 70-page document was supported by Representatives Gabriel Bordado Jr. from Camarines Sur and Lex Colada from AAMBIS-Owa. The complaint emphasizes that it is both a constitutional and moral duty for the House to impeach and for the Senate to potentially remove Duterte from office.
Duterte is accused of being directly responsible for the management of the confidential funds, with the OVP receiving PHP125 million in 2022 and DepEd receiving PHP112.5 million in 2023. It is claimed that she had the final say in approving and overseeing the use of these funds. Testimonies from special disbursing officers Gina Acosta and Edward Fajarda confirmed that these funds were disbursed under Duterte’s direct orders to security personnel.
The complaint further alleges that the funds were misappropriated, with acknowledgment receipts presented to the Commission on Audit (COA) being falsified. Names on these receipts, such as ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ and ‘Kokoy Villamin’, were found to be fictitious, with no official records of their existence. The complainants argue that these fake names were used to create a false narrative of proper fund utilization.
Additional accusations include the misuse of OVP’s confidential funds for purchasing office equipment, which is against budgetary rules that stipulate these funds should be used for surveillance or information gathering. The complaint also accuses Duterte of failing to demonstrate legitimate use of these funds, suggesting negligence and a breach of public trust.
Furthermore, Duterte is accused of bribing DepEd officials with cash envelopes to influence them, which the complainants say is a clear violation of anti-corruption laws. Representative Bordado stressed the importance of upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability, clarifying that the impeachment move is not politically motivated but a necessary action to address serious allegations.