3rd impeach rap filed vs VP Duterte; Leni Robredo ally an endorser

Vice President Sara Duterte—File photo by GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE | Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines — A third impeachment complaint was filed against Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday, echoing the accusations made in the first two that she had misused millions of pesos in confidential funds and then “tried to cover up” how the money was spent when pressed to explain.

The latest move seeking Duterte’s ouster came from a group composed of Catholic priests, Mindanao-based lawyers, and leaders of civic and laity organizations.

It was initiated a day after Congress adjourned the session for the Christmas break, and with the first two complaints still with the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives and yet to be referred to the committee on justice.

The 70-page complaint accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, plunder or malversation, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.

The complainants include Catholic priests Antonio Labiao, Joel Saballa, and Joselito Sarabia of the Diocese of Novaliches; Rico Ponce, Dionisio Ramo,s and Esmeraldo Reforeal of the Carmelite Order in Quezon City; and Daniel Franklin Pilario of the Manila-based Congregation of the Mission.

The others are Simon Serrano, founder of Stop Corruption Philippines, a group founded in 2012; Stand Up for God Rosary Group founder Wilfredo Villanueva and member Pinky Tam; and the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao, represented by Davao City-based lawyer Joel Mahinay.

‘Moral’ obligation

Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado and Aambis-Owa Rep. Lex Colada endorsed the third complaint.

Bordado is the vice mayoral running mate of Duterte’s predecessor, former Vice President Leni Robredo, who is seeking the mayoral post in Naga City in the 2025 elections.

The complainants were represented during Thursday’s filing by lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan of Saligal law firm.

“She cannot be Vice President a minute longer,” the complaint read. “On behalf of the Filipino people, complainants believe that it is not only the constitutional obligation of the members of the House of Representatives to impeach, and for the Senate to remove from office, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte. That obligation now becomes a moral one.”

Like the first other two complaints, it cited the findings of the inquiry conducted by the House committee on good government into her alleged misuse of confidential funds as head of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and, for two years, as secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

It drew attention to the supposed fund beneficiaries like the now controversial “Mary Grace Piattos” and over a thousand other recipients whose signatures appeared on acknowledgment receipts—but whose identities came under serious doubt during the investigation.

‘Inexcusable negligence’

It also recalled the discovery of the pricey “safe houses” rented by the OVP, and the use of Philippine Army certifications to justify DepEd activities, among others.

“(T)he fact that VP Sara failed and/or continues to fail to explain where the confidential funds are now is already evidence of personal misappropriation,” the complaint added. “Her continuous failure to submit documentary evidence of payment of rewards or proof that her information gathering was successful evidenced inexcusable negligence on the Vice President’s part to ensure that the Filipino people’s money was properly spent.”

Also underscored was the OVP’s use of P3.5 million—out of its P125-million confidential funds in 2022—to purchase “chairs, tables, desktop computers, and printers.” The complaint said this was tantamount to technical malversation as it violated a Commission on Audit (COA) circular on how confidential funds must be spent.

“Worse, Vice President Sara failed to explain why she had to use confidential funds to buy things that she failed to relate to confidential activities. The obvious truth—that she tried to cover up by reporting to COA that the OVP bought things—is clear: the OVP never conducted information gathering or surveillance activities. She wanted to conceal how she misappropriated the confidential funds,” it said.

Duterte has maintained that she will not publicly explain how she spent such funds given to the OVP and DepEd, insisting that the money used was for “national security.”

A warning

The complaint warned that if the Vice President would be allowed to remain in office, “what is stopping other less ethical public officials from misappropriating millions and millions of hard-earned public money (using) the flimsy excuse that the disposition (was) confidential?”

“What will stop corrupt politicians from using fictitious individuals to cover up their crimes of using public funds for their personal gain?”

In a separate statement, Bordado said he decided to endorse the latest complaint to help “ensure accountability at the highest levels of government” and also because he found Duterte’s “contentious actions and statements… deeply troubling.”

READ: VP Sara Duterte slapped with 3rd impeachment complaint

These include the death threats she made last month against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., his wife Liza, and Speaker Martin Romualdez, the Camarines Sur congressman said.

“Such conduct undermines public trust, threatens the stability of our democratic system, and sets a dangerous precedent for behavior unbecoming of a public official,” Bordado said. “Her inflammatory statements and apparent disregard for transparency and due process constitute grounds for impeachment.”