A third impeachment complaint was filed on Thursday against Vice President Sara Duterte, accusing her of betrayal of public trust, graft, and corruption over the alleged misuse of at least P612 million in confidential funds.
Religious groups, priests, and lawyers, led by lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, filed the complaint, which cites findings from the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability regarding the handling of confidential funds by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education under Duterte’s leadership.
Ligutan argued that Congress has both a constitutional and moral duty to remove Duterte from office. He criticized her for failing to provide evidence to support her claims of using the funds for legitimate purposes.
The complaint said Duterte’s repeated failure to provide evidence of reward payments or proof of successful information gathering showed neglect in ensuring that public funds were spent properly.
“When asked to substantiate her claim or certifications, she constantly failed to satisfy COA (Commission on Audit) and the public that she conducted legitimate activities using the confidential funds,” the complaint added.
The complainants also accused Duterte of intentionally misusing public funds, citing the use of fictitious individuals to sign acknowledgment receipts.
“Her deliberate intent was crystal clear in her use of fictitious individuals (i.e., Mary Grace Piattos, Kokoy Villamin, and Alice Cresencio, to name a few) to sign her acknowledgment receipts. She showed gross faithlessness against public trust. She cannot be Vice President a minute longer,” they said.
The impeachment complaint was endorsed by Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel Bordado and AAMBIS-OWA party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Colada. A House member’s endorsement is necessary for an impeachment complaint to be officially verified.
Two earlier impeachment complaints also focused on alleged misuse of confidential funds. These were filed by various sectors and endorsed by lawmakers, including Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel.
