A lawyer in the third impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte attributed the increasing support for her removal to more Filipinos demanding accountability over her alleged mismanagement of public funds and lack of transparency.
Legal counsel Amando Virgil Ligutan was reacting to a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing 41 percent of Filipinos in favor of her impeachment, with only 35 percent opposed and 19 percent undecided.
“It’s not surprising that more Filipinos are in favor of impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte than those opposed to it,” Ligutan said. “There is palpable broad-based support for the initiatives to hold her accountable for the controversial manner she spent the multi-million confidential funds.”
The controversy stemmed from Duterte’s refusal to explain how the funds were used, which struck a nerve among the Filipino public. Ligutan said people are already tired of the kind of politics the Vice President represents—’one that normalizes impunity and disregards public trust.’
The undecided 19 percent of survey respondents also encouraged the impeachment proponents to further intensify their efforts in raising awareness about the alleged irregularities, according to the lawyer. “We get it… This encourages us…to work even harder,” Ligutan said.
He noted that this issue goes beyond the constitutional mandate of Congress and now carries a moral obligation, urging lawmakers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives to support the impeachment initiative.
Impeachment proponents in the Lower House have alleged that Duterte’s handling of P612.5 million in confidential funds was riddled with irregularities, including falsified receipts and unauthorized disbursements to fabricated individuals.
The Vice President denied the allegations but welcomed the impeachment proceedings to insulate her subordinates from politics. Duterte has yet to comment on the latest SWS opinion poll.
