A coalition of various organizations filed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday afternoon over allegations of “abuse of power and plunder of the nation’s coffers.”
The groups include Magdalo, Akbayan, Mamamayang Liberal, members of the Catholic Church, and student leaders.
They said Duterte, who has also been criticized for her alleged mental instability, committed an impeachable offense for betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes. The complaint was filed at the Secretary General’s Office.
“Vice President Duterte deserves to be impeached for her abuse of power and plunder of the nation’s coffers. The Filipino people deserve a vice president who is ethical, accountable, and committed to public service—not one who weaponizes authority for personal gain,” said Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña, who endorsed the complaint.
The committee, formally called the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, has been conducting hearings on allegations that Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her term as secretary.
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said on Monday that the complaint is unlikely to be referred to the House justice committee this December due to time constraints.
Under the Constitution, the House has 10 session days from the filing of the verified impeachment complaint to include it in the order of business, and three days thereafter to refer it to the House committee on justice.
The House justice committee has 60 session days to submit a report to the plenary, after which the leadership has 10 session days to calendar it for resolution.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Groups file impeachment complaint vs Vice President Sara Duterte.”
