Manila, Philippines—Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte was hit with a second impeachment complaint on Wednesday, as she faces probes over an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos and use of government funds.
The daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte has been engulfed in political turmoil after her alliance with Marcos spectacularly collapsed ahead of next year’s mid-term elections.
Duterte quit her cabinet post of education secretary in June after relations between the two powerful families reached breaking point and have since shattered.
Wednesday’s complaint filed by activists, teachers, former congressional members and others accused Duterte of betraying public trust for the alleged misuse of millions of dollars in public funds while she was education minister, left-wing coalition Makabayan said.
“The Vice President’s brazen misuse of more than half a billion pesos ($8.5 million) in confidential funds, particularly the suspicious liquidation of 125 million pesos in just 11 days at the end of 2022, represents a grave betrayal of public trust,” former congressman Teddy Casino, and one of the complainants, said in a statement.
“The Filipino people, especially our taxpayers who bear the burden of funding government operations, deserve accountability from their second highest official.”
A different coalition of activists lodged an impeachment complaint against Duterte on Monday, accusing her of corruption and misconduct. Duterte has denied misusing public funds.
It is unclear if either of the two impeachment cases filed against Duterte this week will get the backing of the one-third of lawmakers needed to move to a Senate trial.
While Marcos’ allies hold a majority in the House of Representatives, he has publicly called such efforts a waste of time.
Under the country’s constitution, impeachment proceedings cannot be started against the same person more than once within a year, meaning the House of Representatives, where the two complaints were filed, will have to choose one or consolidate them.
The latest complaint adds to Duterte’s legal woes as she faces a probe into her alleged death threat against Marcos and another inquiry into her use of government funds.
Duterte was subpoenaed following a press conference where she claimed to have told someone to kill the president should an alleged threat against her own life be carried out. She later said the comments were misinterpreted.
She is also facing an investigation in the House, led by Marcos’ cousin Martin Romualdez, over her alleged misuse of millions of dollars in government funds.
