VP impeach raps reach Speaker

Two impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte were transmitted by House of Representatives’ secretary general Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil on Thursday afternoon, to the Office of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III.

“Upon receipt and verification of the complaints and their accompanying endorsements, the Office of the Secretary General forwarded the documents to the Office of the Speaker for appropriate action,” Garafil said on Friday, underscoring that her office performs a ministerial duty and administrative function.

Duterte, the daughter of former President Rodrigo Duterte, previously faced multiple impeachment attempts in late 2024 and early 2025, primarily over allegations of corruption and misuse of public funds.

However, the Supreme Court declared those proceedings unconstitutional in July 2025, citing violations of the one-year initiation rule under the Constitution, which bars more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a year.

The rule effectively blocked new complaints until 6 February 2026, the anniversary of the prior initiation.

With the one-year bar lapsing, two new impeachment complaints were filed on 2 February 2026, by progressive and civil society groups, many of whom were involved in the earlier efforts.

These complaints essentially recycle and expand on prior allegations, focusing on VP Duterte’s handling of confidential funds during her tenure as Vice President and former Education Secretary, as well as broader charges of corruption, threats, and abuse of power.

Anti-Duterte groups argue that the filings aim to hold her accountable for fiscal irregularities and threats against public officials, while VP Sara’s supporters dismiss them as part of politically-motivated operations.

Radicals seek VP’s removal

Members of the left-wing Makabayan Coalition filed the first verified impeachment complaint.

It centers on three interconnected articles of impeachment, all under the umbrella of “betrayal of public trust,” which is an impeachable offense. These are not mere policy disagreements but accusations of deliberate misconduct.

The first allegation is Gross Abuse of Discretionary Powers Over Confidential Funds, or the illegal use and mishandling of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education, both of which she served as secretary until her resignation in June 2024.

The funds were disbursed from December 2022 through the third quarter of 2023 without proper justification or adherence to the guidelines of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission on Audit (COA).

Critics claim these were “intelligence” funds used for other purposes, such as political patronage or personal gain.

The questioned amount represented a significant portion of the OVP’s budget, and audits revealed discrepancies in the liquidation of funds.

The funds were allegedly spent in just 11 days in some cases, raising red flags about fictitious expenses or kickbacks.

VP Duterte was also accused of ordering subordinates to fabricate accomplishment reports, liquidation documents, and other records submitted to the Commission on Audit (CoA) to cover up irregularities.

Another allegation is dereliction of duty and refusal of oversight over skipping multiple congressional budget hearings while refusing to answer questions about the funds, labeling critics as “terrorists” or “conspirators.”

The complaint demanded the removal of VP Duterte and his permanent disqualification from public office, arguing that his actions constitute a “pattern of impunity.”

‘Pinklawans’ file 2nd plea

Party-list Representatives Leila de Lima of Mamamayang Liberal and Perci Cendaña of Akbayan endorsed the second impeachment complaint, joined by representatives of progressive organizations and civil society groups.

The second pleading is considered broader and more aggressive, incorporating criminal elements and tying Duterte to her family’s controversial history.

The complaint outlines five articles of impeachment, expanding beyond fiscal issues to include high crimes and constitutional breaches.

The first article is culpable violations of the Constitution based on accusations that she undermined democratic institutions through threats and destabilization efforts, including her public threat in November 2024 to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Marcos’ cousin.

Similar to the first complaint, the second also focuses on the misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, but adds allegations of bribery in government contracts and the accumulation of unexplained wealth.