House Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima on Monday said the third impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte is an “improved version” of the articles of impeachment previously filed during the 19th Congress.
“It is an improved version of the Articles of Impeachment that were previously sent to the Senate and endorsed by more than one-third of the members of the House,” De Lima, a former senator, said.
De Lima, a lawyer, said she agreed to endorse the third complaint after reviewing its contents and supporting documents, expressing confidence that it can pass all procedural stages in the House of Representatives.
“When I saw the complaint itself and reviewed the numerous supporting pieces of evidence, I was confident that—just like the second complaint—it would pass the determination of sufficiency in form and substance, and even reach the final stage of House proceedings, which is the evaluation of evidence,” she said.
She explained that once the complaint passes the determination of sufficiency, Vice President Duterte will be required to respond as the respondent.
De Lima pointed to one of the grounds cited in the complaint—alleged threats against top government officials—saying these were captured on video.
“One of the grounds involves threats to assassinate the President, the First Lady, and the former Speaker of the House. The strongest evidence comes from her own statements—captured on video—where she made those threats,” she said.
She added that the complaint is supported by multiple forms of documentary evidence, including official records and audit findings.
“The evidence includes her own statements, legislative records, official audit findings, liquidation vouchers, and the sworn statement of Ramil Madriaga, which links to the alleged abuse and misuse of confidential funds of both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education,” De Lima said.
‘Missing link’ affidavit
Lawyer Amando Virgil D. Ligutan, counsel for the complainants, said the sworn statement of former Duterte aide Madriaga provides the “missing link” in tracing how confidential funds were allegedly spent, although he stressed that the impeachment case does not rely solely on the affidavit.
“On one hand, the case can stand even without the affidavit of Ramil Madriaga,” Ligutan said. “This is because the Vice President and her two offices submitted fictitious names as alleged recipients of millions of pesos entrusted to her.”
Ligutan said the complainants submitted certifications from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing that the listed payees do not exist.
“We have certifications from the Philippine Statistics Authority stating that these individuals do not exist. They were not born, they are not dead—they are fictitious,” he said.
He said Madriaga’s affidavit nonetheless strengthens the case by detailing how the funds were allegedly disbursed.
“His affidavit narrates how the P125 million was actually spent in December 2022, providing the missing link on how the Vice President allegedly carried out the transactions,” Ligutan said.
According to Ligutan, the complaint runs 98 pages, excluding annexes, and includes documents evidencing payments allegedly made while Duterte served as Vice President and as secretary of the Department of Education.
“We attached documents evidencing payments showing how the millions of pesos entrusted to her were allegedly spent,” he said. “We also have certifications signed by the Vice President herself, stating that she ordered how these funds should be used.”
“So we have witnesses and documents to prove that the Vice President violated her oath,” Ligutan added.
Legislative process
De Lima said the complaint is expected to be transmitted by the Office of the Secretary General, along with its annexes, so it can be included in the Order of Business, referred to the Rules Committee, and eventually endorsed by the plenary to the House Committee on Justice.
Ligutan said the complainants are leaving it to the House to determine how the impeachment process will proceed—either through committee proceedings or a faster route via a one-third vote in the plenary.
“Either way, the evidence will speak for itself,” he said.
The third impeachment complaint was filed by a coalition of clergy, civil society leaders, and lawyers, and was endorsed by De Lima.
Ligutan said the complainants believe impeachment has become not only a constitutional duty but also a moral one.
“It has become a moral obligation of Congress to impeach and remove from office, once and for all, Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte,” he said.
