Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday dismissed an impeachment complaint endorsed by opposition-backed party Akbayan, calling it baseless, politically motivated, and an abuse of the constitutional impeachment process.
In a statement, the Vice President said the complaint contained “no evidence” to support the allegations against her, arguing that it was part of a long-running effort by political opponents to remove her from office.
“The impeachment complaint endorsed by Akbayan is a piece of paper with no accompanying evidence to prove the accusations stated in it,” Duterte said in mixed Filipino and English.
She linked the filing of the complaint to her earlier resignation from the Cabinet of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., claiming impeachment efforts intensified after she left the administration.
“This is no longer new. It can be remembered that the impeachment against me was their response to my departure from the Cabinet,” Duterte said.
“A step was taken because the President could no longer explain the ongoing sinking of the nation into poverty caused by his neglect and vices,” she added.
The Vice President also criticized previous congressional inquiries during the 19th Congress, saying an investigation conducted “in aid of legislation” was used, in her view, as a fishing expedition to build an impeachment case against her.
She again denied any wrongdoing related to the use of confidential funds, including allegations linked to the “Mary Grace Piattos” issue, saying no direct violation had been established despite multiple probes.
Duterte further alleged that some lawmakers had admitted to the existence of signature-gathering efforts and promised projects to secure support for impeachment, though she did not cite specific names or documents in her statement.
She questioned Akbayan’s credibility in endorsing the complaint, pointing to what she described as the group’s political ambitions, citing a speech delivered in August 2024 by Sen. Risa Hontiveros as evidence that fears of a political comeback by the Duterte family drove the impeachment effort.
“This is a form of harassment and abuse of the impeachment process by the Akbayan group,” Duterte said.
“It’s not clear what they are fighting for in the name of national order, but their political game and their coercion in our country’s diplomatic affairs are very clear,” she added.
The Vice President said impeachment should not be used as a political weapon, but as a mechanism for accountability grounded in evidence and due process.
Akbayan-backed lawmakers earlier endorsed an impeachment complaint against Duterte that cites alleged irregularities in the use of confidential and intelligence funds during her tenure as Vice President and as concurrent head of the Department of Education, as well as accusations of grave abuse of authority and betrayal of public trust.
Akbayan and its allied lawmakers have said the impeachment complaint is grounded in public accountability and constitutional duty, arguing that impeachment is a legitimate mechanism for addressing alleged abuses by high-ranking officials.
