Impeach VP Sara move possible — House leaders

While no formal impeachment complaint has yet been filed against Vice President Sara Duterte, it would come as no surprise if she faced one sooner or later, a leader at the House of Representatives said Monday.

Rumors of plans to impeach Duterte first circulated middle of last year following the allegedly irregular transfer of P125 million in confidential funds to the Office of the Vice President without “congressional authorization.”

A prominent ally of the Dutertes, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, speculated that an impeachment move against the country’s second top official could be in the works.

While there has been no petition in the House to impeach Duterte, Roque said it wouldn’t be entirely surprising if someone would file one, taking into account her current anti-administration stance.

House Assistant Majority Leader Angelo Jil Bongalon, vice chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations, told the media in a press conference, “We are not hearing anything yet, but it would not be a surprise if somebody will file an impeachment case against the Vice President.”

“It’s not strange, and we will not be surprised if there are groups or other individuals who want to hold our Vice President accountable through a filing of an impeachment case,” he said.

Under Section 2, Article XI of the Constitution, top officials of the country, including the President, Vice President, justices of the Supreme Court, members of constitutional commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from office via impeachment.

Draws flak

The power to initiate an impeachment case rests solely with the House of Representatives. A Filipino citizen may also file an impeachment complaint, which should be endorsed by a member of the House.

Duterte had become critical of the Marcos administration after resigning as education secretary, openly attacking its policies, including its alleged failure to fund an anti-flood control program in Davao City.

She alleged the national government might have intentionally refused to finance the flood control projects because “the mayor is a Duterte.”

Her statement, however, drew flak, with some lawmakers saying it should have been addressed long before by the Dutertes, who have been ruling Davao City for over 30 years.

Bongalon also questioned Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte’s alleged failure to fund the flood control projects when he received a whopping P51 billion in district allocations in the previous Congress.

“With that huge amount in public funds, why were the floods in Davao not addressed? To what project did the massive public funds go?” he asked.

Instead of spouting criticism, House Assistant Majority Leader Zia Alonto Adiong stressed that Vice President Duterte should provide actionable solutions given her position in government.

“It’s better if your criticism is constructive. We are all working in the same government, working for the same constituency — the Filipinos. So, ultimately, whatever we propose, whatever we think is good for the country, the benefits and advantages, will definitely be felt by the people,” Adiong said in the same press conference.

He noted that all public officials, including the Vice President, must propose alternatives when they criticize current policies. “We hope she can provide us with alternative solutions, if she has one,” he added.