Plunder complaint filed vs. VP Duterte over P612.5M funds

Multiple piles of documents were submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday in connection with complaints, including plunder, against Vice President Sara Duterte and 15 other government officials over the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.

The complaints were filed by a coalition of priests, academics, economists, women’s rights advocates, journalists, and youth leaders, including Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, Fr. Roberto Reyes, and former Department of Finance Secretary Dr. Maria Cielo Magno.

The documents allege that Duterte directed schemes in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to divert and conceal P612.5 million through irregular transactions, unsupported disbursement vouchers, and certifications issued by officers personally designated by the Vice President.

Fr. Villanueva said the complaints aim to hold the Vice President accountable for what the group describes as repeated irregularities in the use of confidential funds.

The complaints include plunder, bribery, malversation, graft, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution. The group urged the Ombudsman to investigate the alleged offenses, refer verified cases to the House of Representatives for impeachment, and place implicated OVP and DepEd officials under preventive suspension.

The filings state that Duterte was entrusted with P500 million in confidential funds as Vice President and P112.5 million as DepEd Secretary. The alleged anomalies were cited during the 2024 congressional budget deliberations.

In June, the House adopted a good government report recommending the filing of criminal, civil, and administrative complaints against Duterte, noting P621.5 million disbursed under OVP and DepEd during her tenure. In July, the Supreme Court voided a prior impeachment complaint citing violations of the one-year rule and due process, but allowed new complaints starting 6 February 2026.

Fr. Villanueva emphasized that the complaints are not politically motivated but aimed at transparency regarding confidential funds.

In response, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino (PDP) spokesperson Ferdinand Topacio described the allegations as “rehashed and recycled” and cited the Commission on Audit’s report giving OVP a high audit rating and Duterte a clean record of accountability. The PDP also criticized the Ombudsman for potential bias and said lawmakers’ budget insertions should also be examined, as "(their) acts were enabled by the President by indispensable participation in the enactment of the budget and his instructions to make insertions.”