VP Duterte on impeachment: House lawmaker has recordings of talks

Vice President Sara Duterte answers questions from reporters in this file photo taken on March 13, 2024. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday claimed that a House of Representatives member has a recording of lawmakers talking about a possible impeachment complaint against her.

In her opening speech at the House committee on appropriations’ hearing on the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) proposed 2025 budget, Duterte said she has the record but she would refrain from releasing it.

“Which then brings us to the matter of impeachment. As a friend, I will not violate the confidence of a few members of the House of Representatives who have either recorded conversations or participated in shared conversations regarding impeachment proceedings against me,” Duterte said.

According to the Vice President, talks on impeachment complaints against her are not new, claiming that a lawmaker made mention of this in a Philippine Daily Inquirer report.

“Nonetheless, this is nothing new. Talks of impeachment have been going on for several months now. In fact, a member of the Lower House has publicly declared in an interview where she was quoted by the Philippine Daily Inquirer saying that: ‘In light of the possible numerous violations of the OVP on the use of the  P125 million confidential fund, which is not in the 2022 General Appropriations Act, we are not discounting the fact that it may file an impeachment case against the Vice President’,” she said.

“Surprisingly, despite the absence of proof as to any wrongdoing, she has already revealed the grounds for impeachment when she was also quoted saying: “Especially on the misuse of public funds and technical malversation and violating the 1987 Constitution,” she added.

Duterte did not mention who the lawmaker is, but the quotes were lifted from an August 26, 2023 story of the Inquirer where ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said that they are mulling the filing of an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

READ: Impeachment of VP over intel funds mulled

Castro said back then that the possible impeachment complaint was in connection to a suspicion that the OVP may have spent the P125-million confidential funds (CF) in 2022 even though the original OVP budget, crafted under former vice president Leni Robredo, did not have such an item.

READ: Lawmaker threatens VP Sara with impeach rap; Veep responds, ‘Enjoy’

Duterte responded by saying that Castro did not deserve any explanation because the accusations were speculative.

The Vice President also said she hoped Castro would be able to savor the thought of removing her from office.

READ: Lawmaker threatens VP Sara with impeach rap; Veep responds, ‘Enjoy’

Castro clarified that the House leadership is not involved in discussing the possibility of filing an impeachment complaint against Duterte, saying it is just a “casual conversation” between lawmakers.

READ: Castro clarifies: House leaders not part of impeachment talks vs VP Duterte

Recently, House leaders clarified several times that no impeachment complaint is being prepared against Duterte.

On one occasion, La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V urged the Vice President to name who is behind the impeachment talks, so that they can ascertain whether the person has access to the House members.

READ: VP Sara urged: Name those who say there’s impeachment brewing

The OVP is not getting any CF for 2025 as the Department of Budget and Management decided to adopt Congress’ policy that civilian agencies with no surveillance mandate are no longer given CF allocations.

In 2023, the CF of the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd), which was then under Duterte, went through scrutiny after it was revealed that the OVP had a P125-million CF for 2022 even if the original budget did not have these items.

As a result, the House removed the P500-million CF request of the OVP and realigned it to agencies securing the West Philippine Sea.

Meanwhile, the P150-million CF request of the DepEd was converted into an item under maintenance and other operating expenses.

READ: How House removed, reduced the confidential funds of gov’t agencies