Trillanes, civil society group file new plunder, graft complaint vs Sara Duterte
Vice President Sara Duterte is facing another complaint after former Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV, together with civil society group The Silent Majority (TSM), filed a new set of plunder, graft, malversation and related charges before the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday.
Trillanes and TSM said the complaint stems from alleged anomalies during Duterte’s tenure as vice president, while she was secretary of the Department of Education, and during her time as mayor of Davao City.
“Sara Duterte has violated many laws, constitutions and trust of many Filipinos that were long overlooked,” TSM founder Jocelyn Marie Acosta said.
The complaint’s first ground centers on graft, corruption, and plunder allegations linked to Duterte’s use of confidential funds during her stint at the Office of the Vice President and as DepEd secretary, which the complainants said totaled P650 million.
The filing noted that at least 17 members of the House of Representatives had earlier reserved the opportunity to question Duterte over the use of P125 million in confidential funds released in December 2022, as well as the P500 million confidential fund allocation for the OVP in 2023. These issues were raised during the House Committee on Appropriations budget briefing on 27 August 2024 for the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“Instead of taking the opportunity to explain how she handled the CF entrusted to her Office, Respondent practically stonewalled all the relevant questions Members of the House Of Representatives asked on how her Office spent the hundreds of millions of public funds entrusted to her office,” the complainants stated.
Following her stay as Education Secretary, the complainant also stemmed their complaint of Graft and Malversation to P8 billion worth of alleged overpriced laptop during her term. In addition, they also noted alleged P7 billion Unliquidated Cash advances in the said term and Gross incompetence as there are only 192 classrooms constructed in the supposed target of more than 6,000 classrooms.
The group further alleged that Duterte spent a “scandalous amount of P2,735,000.00 in confidential and intelligence funds” during her three terms as mayor of Davao City from 2010 to 2022.
“During her three terms as Mayor of Davao City, Respondent sought and received progressively larger and larger amounts of confidential funds over the years, the amounts which dwarf those of even the most progressive and wealthiest cities of the country,” they added.
Furthermore, they cited the sworn statement of Ramil Madriaga, a supposed aide of Duterte and founder of Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP Pilipinas) and submitted a sworn affidavit to the Office of the Ombudsman on December Last year
To recall, Madriaga claimed that he saw how money from POGO and drug-linked financiers was funneled to groups supporting Duterte’s political rise. The notarized affidavit also stated that he distributed tons of cash on various individuals and claimed that the funding for “Inday Sara Duterte is My President (ISIP) was funded by POGO operators and drug dealers.
Trillanes said the scale of the alleged anomalies should prompt urgent action, citing the recent case involving former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. over a P92.8-million flood control project.
“Ikukumpara natin Yan dun sa ifinile na kaso at nakapagpa kulong kay former Senator Bong Revilla, 90 milyon pesos na flood control project na bashian non. Pero Bago lang Yun na-file. Pero ito, last year po ito lumabas at ‘yung mga aligasyon ko yung iba nga, 2016 pa,” Trillanes said.
“Kaya nanawagan din Tayo Kay Ombudsman Boying Remulla, na bigyan ng atensyon itong MGA kasong ifinile na ito, mas malaki, di hamak na pagnanakaw itong ginawa,” he added.
