Sara Duterte: Marcos signing ‘blank’ 2025 budget may be impeachable

Vice President Sara Duterte said she believes there are legal grounds to impeach President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. over the signing of the 2025 national budget, which she claimed contained “blank items and insertions.”

“Para sa akin, personal ko na opinion. Ako, diba, ang nagsabi pinakauna na impeachable offense ‘yung pagpirma ng budget na alam mong galing siya sa bill na may mga blaangko at merong mga insertions,” Duterte said in an ambush interview in Davao City on Thursday, 12 February, when asked to comment on the Palace’s statement that the President did not commit any impeachable offense.

“At syempre, impeachable offense din ‘yung humihindi ang isang opisyal kapag merong nagtatanong ng competency niya na mamuno at may nagsasabi na gumagamit siya ng illegal na droga,” the Vice President added.

On 30 December 2024, Marcos signed into law the ₱6.326-trillion national budget for 2025. The President has repeatedly maintained that there were no blank items or insertions in the approved spending measure.

Duterte, however, said she has not yet read the impeachment complaint against Marcos and could not confirm whether her claims were included in the filing.

“Pero ako, ako bilang Vice President, kapag merong challenge sa fitness ko, paniwala ko hindi ako pwede humindi. Kasi nag-oath ako, eh. At sinasabi ko doon, I will preserve and defend the Constitution,” she said.

“Paano mo ma-preserve and defend ang Constitution, ang Saligang Batas, kung wala ka sa tamang pag-iisip?” she added.

Meanwhile, Duterte said her legal team is preparing to respond to three new impeachment complaints filed against her this year.

“Paniwala ko naman na naghahanda sila, nag-aantay sila ng opisyal na kopya sa lahat ng mga reklamo,” she said.

“Hindi ako nagkulang ng paghahanda sa kung ano mang mangyaring mga impeachment dahil noong nakumpirma ko mula sa opisina ni dating Speaker Martin Romualdez na totoo nga ang pinag-uusapan sa loob, ang impeachment, ay naghanda na rin ako. Kumuha na ako ng defense team,” the Vice President added.

The three new impeachment complaints were filed following the Supreme Court’s decision upholding its July 2025 ruling that declared an earlier impeachment case against Duterte unconstitutional due to the one-year prohibition rule.

The first complaint was filed by members of the Makabayan Coalition and endorsed by the Makabayan bloc in the House. The second was filed by Tindig Pilipinas and endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima and Akbayan Rep. Percy Cendaña. The third complaint, also endorsed by De Lima, was filed by religious groups, priests and lawyers.