The latest Social Weather Stations survey showing that most Filipinos support the filing of impeachment cases against Vice President Sara Duterte comes as no surprise given the “glaring” evidence of alleged fund misuse and betrayal of public trust, two House leaders said yesterday.
“The numbers don’t lie. The public is demanding accountability, and this survey reflects their growing frustration over the glaring irregularities surrounding the Vice President’s actions,” Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales Rep. Jay Khonghun said.
He noted that congressional hearings covered the existence of fabricated recipients like “Mary Grace Piattos” as well as thousands of suspicious transactions tied to the confidential funds under the Vice President’s control.
Duterte was accused of allegedly mismanaging P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during her term as Secretary.
“This is about accountability. The evidence against the Vice President is glaring, from the misuse of confidential funds to a pattern of governance riddled with questions. The Filipino people deserve answers, and their support for impeachment shows they are demanding transparency and justice,” Deputy Majority Leader and La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V.
The survey, conducted between December 12 and 18, 2024, showed that 41 percent of Filipinos support Duterte’s impeachment, while 35 percent are opposed to it, and 19 percent remain undecided.
Duterte is facing three impeachment complaints in the House of Representatives, accusing her of gross incompetence, betrayal of public trust, and deliberate misuse of public funds, among others.
During the hearings of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, it was revealed that alleged falsified acknowledgment receipts were issued, signed by fictitious individuals such as “Mary Grace Piattos” and “Kokoy Villamin,” among others, who were listed as recipients of confidential funds under Duterte’s leadership.
The Philippine Statistics Authority confirmed that no records of these names exist, raising serious doubts about the legitimacy of the transactions.
The committee also found that the OVP spent P16 million to rent 34 safe houses for just 11 days in late 2022, with one safe house costing nearly P91,000 per day.
“The public expects us to ensure that no one is above the law, no matter how powerful they may be. The survey is just the beginning. The evidence is overwhelming, and the Filipino people deserve justice. No one is above the law—not even the Vice President,” Khonghun said.
“Filipinos are watching. They are sending a clear message that leadership should be built on trust, not entitlement. It is now up to Congress to respond to their call for accountability,” Ortega added.
Meanwhile, a lawyer in the third impeachment complaint filed against the Vice President attributed the increasing support for her removal to more Filipinos demanding accountability.
Legal counsel Amando Virgil Ligutan said: “It’s not surprising that more Filipinos are in favor of impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte than those opposed to it. 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 undecided 19 percent of survey respondents also encouraged the impeachment proponents to further intensify their efforts in raising awareness about the alleged irregularities, the lawyer.
Commissioned by Stratbase Consultancy, the survey showed support for impeachment was highest in Balance Luzon, where 50 percent of respondents are in favor of the impeachment, followed by Visayas at 40 percent.
Meanwhile, Mindanao, considered Duterte’s bailiwick, recorded the lowest support at 22 percent, with 56 percent opposing the impeachment.
“Results from the same survey also show that 46 percent of Filipinos believe that the unexplained spending of confidential and intelligence funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education may be the best basis to impeach Duterte,” Stratbase said.
In a press conference last year, Duterte expressed openness to the impeachment cases filed against her, viewing them as a chance to address the allegations “exclusively” directed at her.
