Why her impeachment case matters
Despite repeated communication for Duterte to directly respond to these allegations, she did not attend the hearings.
CAGAYAN DE ORO — In a unanimous decision, the House of Representatives Committee on Justice said that there is probable cause as regards the two verified impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte.
The panel approved the consolidation of these complaints, filed by Fr. Jose Saballa and his colleagues and lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera, under one set of articles of impeachment, covering the alleged misuse and bribery of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and threats and destabilization.
Both complainants invoked impeachable offenses, including culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes.
Prior to this, a series of committee hearings was conducted. Despite repeated communication for Duterte to directly respond to these allegations, she did not attend the hearings, reportedly choosing to attend an event in Laguna instead of the last clarificatory hearing on April 29.
Funds for the poor
In a committee hearing, Ramil Madriaga, Duterte’s alleged bagman, disputed earlier reports that the P125 million in confidential funds under the OVP in 2022, which became a central issue to the impeachment case, was spent in 11 days. He claimed that he personally disposed of the said amount of money in less than 24 hours, delivering it to various locations.
Only P73 million of the said amount was disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA). However, state auditors flagged another P375 million in confidential funds in 2023, directing the OVP to return a total of P448 million in public funds.
The overall amount is equivalent to P5,000 worth of cash assistance to 89,600 public utility jeepney drivers nationwide amid the rising prices of petroleum products. It is also enough for the government to build a substantial number of housing units for informal settlers given the series of demolitions in Metro Manila last month.
The amount could also be used to build more or less 400 classrooms that would help decongest public schools in the country, considering that 15 classrooms were built from a P17-million budget in Maguindanao in 2022.
“The funds for better education for our children have vanished, the budget for our healthcare is running short to finance the suppression of our rights and to intensify corruption,” Eufemia Doringo, secretary-general of the urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), said in an earlier statement.
Aside from Madriaga’s claims, alleged irregularities in liquidation were found, including questionable acknowledgement receipts with fictitious names cited by the Philippine Statistics Authority and a COA finding that showed OVP’s failure to substantiate the use of these funds.
REALITY CHECK: Si Sara Duterte mismo ay sangkot sa korapsyon
During the April 22 hearing, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said that it recorded 417 bank transactions (inflows and outflows) of Duterte amounting to P3.92 billion from 2005 to 2026. The AMLC confirmed that it received these reports directly from banks.
Given this report from AMLC, legislators observed the gap from Duterte’s declared annual net worth from her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs) from 2007 to 2024, ranging from P2 million to P6.3 million.
“If we combine our examination of the SALNs of VP Sara, the report of AMLC, the corroborated transactions amounting to billions, and the lack of a legitimate source of wealth, under the basis of probable cause, these are more than enough,” Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima said.
Duterte’s threat to assassinate government officials during an online press conference was also declared by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as authentic.
Second time
After declaring the existence of probable cause, the articles of impeachment will now be transmitted to the House plenary for approval. At least 106 votes from the 318 House of Representatives members are necessary to impeach Duterte.
If this happens, she will be the first official in Philippine history impeached by the House twice.
In February 2025, she was also impeached but the case did not push through after it was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Read:Groups denounce Senate’s ‘return to sender’ of impeachment case
Read:SC ruling makes accountability more difficult for ordinary citizens — progressives
If Duterte gets impeached, the articles of impeachment will be forwarded to the Senate.
Party-list representatives Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers, Sarah Jane Elago of Gabriela, and Renee Co of Kabataan said that these hearings were launched to establish the truth, determine accountability, and uphold the public’s right to transparency.
They said in a joint statement that Duterte should not evade public scrutiny. “The Vice President must show up, answer, and submit to the same standards demanded of ordinary public servants and citizens.” (DAA)
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