VP Sara faces second impeachment rap

By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio, Reporter

ANOTHER complaint seeking the ouster of Philippine Vice-President (VP) Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio was filed at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, triggered by what progressive group leaders describe as her gross abuse of power while in office.

This is the second impeachment charge against the embattled vice-president within the week. Critics of Ms. Duterte said her failure to account for public fund spending has paved the way for moves seeking her removal from office.

A total of 75 complainants are seeking Ms. Duterte’s impeachment, including political leaders, student representatives, human rights advocates, and sectoral groups, citing betrayal of public trust due to her alleged “gross abuse of discretionary powers” over her secret fund use in 2022 and 2023.

The complaint was endorsed by Party-list Reps. Raoul Danniel A. Manuel, France L. Castro, and Arlene D. Brosas, members of a House minority bloc.

The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment on the impeachment complaint’s allegations.

“We accuse Vice-President Sara Duterte of betraying public trust,” Teodoro A. Casiño, chairman of political group Bayan Muna and among Wednesday’s complainants, said in a media briefing before the filing in Filipino.

“By misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice-President and the Department of Education. This was used for improper purposes in improper ways,” he added, noting Ms. Duterte also covered up the misuse of public funds through “fake receipts, fabricated acknowledgment receipts, and false documents submitted to the Commission on Audit.”

Mr. Casiño also cited the Vice-President’s refusal to recognize Congress’ authority to investigate fund use as well as efforts to prevent the chamber from performing its oversight functions.

Impeachment complaints against Ms. Duterte have been submitted at the House despite President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. discouraging it. While some congressmen from the majority have said they would toe the president’s line, civil groups and minority lawmakers remain adamant for her removal.

The filing of impeachment complaints against Ms. Duterte comes against the backdrop of a widening political rift between two of the country’s most influential clans. The falling out of the Dutertes and Marcoses has resulted in the collapse of what was once a formidable electoral alliance that delivered them landslide wins in the 2022 elections.

The first impeachment complaint, filed on Monday, cited 24 grounds containing allegations of graft and corruption, bribery, and betrayal of public trust among other crimes.

Under the 1987 Constitution, grounds for impeachment include treason, bribery, graft and corruption, high crimes or betrayal of public trust.

Impeachment counsel Neri J. Colmenares explained the second complaint only cited betrayal of public trust to allow them to focus on one issue and establish “solid” evidence.

“Right from the start, we said that the evidence needs to be solid. So, we cited the most catch-all ground, which is the betrayal of public trust, and we’ll focus on the most blatant issue, which is Ms. Duterte’s use of confidential funds,” he told reporters in Filipino after the complaint’s filing.

Aside from Ms. Duterte’s alleged misuse of secret funds, Wednesday’s complainants accused her of undermining the auditing process, making her unfit for office. They also claimed that her “willful refusal” to attend congressional investigations also constituted a betrayal of public trust.

The vice-president has been the subject of a House investigation on her spending of P612.5 million worth of confidential and intelligence funds in 2023 since she broke away from the Marcos administration in June, when she resigned from the Cabinet.

Ms. Duterte denies any wrongdoing stemming from the probe, alleging it is politically charged and could be laying the groundwork for her ouster.

Mr. Colmenares said they fielded a “simple” article for Ms. Duterte’s impeachment so Congress could easily deliberate their accusations. “I hope there will be a decision and, of course, a conviction by January 2025 so that the accountability mechanism for public officials can be seen by the people.”

Midterm elections are scheduled for next year, casting doubts on the viability of the complaint as an impeachment process drags out and takes months.

“The impeachment complaint should be expedited because we know, and we’re not blind, that the elections are approaching,” said Mr. Colmenares.

Political analysts said that the upcoming elections could affect how lawmakers would proceed with Ms. Duterte’s impeachment complaint.

“The combination of the upcoming elections and the holding of the impeachment proceedings will be an opportune time to assess [lawmakers’] political alignment,” Dennis C. Coronacion, chairman of the University of Sto. Tomas’ Political Science department, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.

Lawmakers are likely on the fence on the impeachment complaint against Ms. Duterte, citing the need to carefully consider whether they’d gain or lose votes from their stance on the matter, Anthony Lawrence A. Borja, an associate political science professor at the De La Salle University, said in a Facebook chat.

The House will first hear the complaint, requiring one-third of its members, or at least 102 congressmen, to agree with the impeachment rap before the case is elevated to the Senate for trial. The chamber is headed by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, a cousin of the president.

The embattled Dutertes have a few allies in the Senate, whose members include former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s ex-police chief and former chief presidential aide. At least 16 senators need to find Ms. Duterte guilty of the alleged violations to be convicted.