VP Sara Duterte faces 2nd impeachment rap

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco received the second impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on Dec. 4, 2024. The complaint was filed by progressive groups led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, and sponsored by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel. Photo by Gabriel Pabico Lalu / INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte was slapped with a second impeachment complaint filed by over 70 representatives of progressive groups who trooped to the House of Representatives on Wednesday, December 4.

The progressive groups, led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), submitted their impeachment complaint before House Secretary General Reginald Velasco at 3:38 p.m.

According to advance copies of the impeachment complaint sent by Bayan to reporters, the ground for impeachment used is a betrayal of public trust due to a myriad of issues that stemmed from her offices’ use of confidential funds (CFs).

Vice President Sara Duterte

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte previously headed, have been the subject of a House investigation due to questions on how their CFs were utilized.

Some of the revelations were the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) for the CFs signed by a certain “Mary Grace Piattos” whom Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said has a first name similar to a coffee shop and a last name that is a famous potato chip brand.

The ARs signed off by Piattos were part of the liquidation reports discussed during the hearing on the P23.8 million in CFs covered by 158 receipts.

READ: P1-M reward for information on Mary Grace Piattos – House lawmakers

On Tuesday, the Philippine Statistics Authority confirmed that the name Mary Grace Piattos does not appear on their live birth, marriage, and death registry.

READ: ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ does not exist, PSA confirms

The first impeachment complaint was filed on December 2 and was endorsed by Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendeña.

READ: First impeachment complaint vs VP Sara filed at House

According to former Senator Leila de Lima, who accompanied the complainants, among the articles of impeachment cited in the first complaint were Duterte’s alleged CF misuse, threats to ranking government officials, and her supposed involvement in extrajudicial killings when she was Davao City mayor.

READ: De Lima: Fund misuse, threats among grounds for impeaching VP Duterte