Philippine VP Duterte slapped with third impeachment rap

ANOTHER impeachment complaint seeking the removal of Philippine Vice-President (VP) Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio was filed at the House of Representatives on Thursday, containing allegations she committed plunder, bribery, and betrayed the public’s trust.

The impeachment rap, filed by 12 complainants composed of clergymen, members of a religious sect and a lawyers’ group, alleged the embattled vice-president breached the Constitution, betrayed public trust, committed plunder, bribery, corruption, and other high crimes.

The Philippine Charter stated that grounds for impeachment include “culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.”

Camarines Sur Rep. Gabriel H. Bordado, Jr. and Party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Cris A. Colada endorsed the impeachment complaint, which called for Ms. Duterte’s removal from office for her failure to account for the alleged “anomalous disbursements” of more than P600 million worth of secret funds in 2022 and 2023.

The Office of the Vice-President (OVP) did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment about the most recent impeachment complaint.

In a Viber message to reporters, the OVP said “the matter was already relayed to the Vice President.”

Two impeachment complaints were filed earlier by civil society groups and activists, which similarly zeroed in on Ms. Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF).

“What makes this different is that the complainants now believe that it is no longer just the constitutional and legal obligation of the members of the House of Representatives to impeach and for the Senate to remove from office the sitting vice president of the Republic of the Philippines,” Armando Virgil D. Ligutan, the complainants’ counsel, told reporters before the ouster rap’s filing. 

“That obligation now becomes a moral one,” he added.

In a separate statement on Thursday, the Office of the Secretary-General in the chamber confirmed receipt of the third complaint.

“The House of Representatives reaffirms its steadfast dedication to upholding the principles of transparency, accountability, and the rule of law,” it said.

“The impeachment complaint will undergo due deliberation in strict compliance with the Constitution and established legislative processes.”

The filing of the third impeachment complaint comes just before the Philippine Congress goes on recess for its Christmas break, which would start on Dec. 21 until Jan. 12.

Ouster complaints against Ms. Duterte face an uphill battle as lawmakers question whether there is enough time to deliberate with the country’s midterm elections just five months away.

The Constitution requires the House to first hear the complaints, requiring one-third of its members or at least 103 congressmen to find it with merit before the case is elevated to the Senate for trial. At least 16 senators need to find Ms. Duterte culpable of the alleged violations to be convicted.

All 318 seats in the House will be voted on by Filipinos in May, while 12 spots in the influential 24-seat Senate are up for grabs.

Thursday’s complainants alleged that Ms. Duterte’s use of secret funds “were not properly done” as her office used fictitious individuals to receive the government funds, according to Mr. Ligutan.

“We have instances of the same individuals receiving money from the public, but these individuals used different signatures,” he said, referring to the House good government panel’s findings that fictitious identities were used by recipients of CIF from Ms. Duterte’s office.

Ms. Duterte’s failure to also submit documentary evidence on her use of CIF “evidenced inexcusable negligence on the vice-president’s part to ensure that the Filipino people’s money was properly spent,” a copy of the filed impeachment complaint provided to reporters stated.

“If this Honorable House of Representatives allows the Vice-President to get away with what she did, what is stopping other less ethical public officials from misappropriating millions and millions of hard-earned public money by the mere flimsy excuse that disposition be confidential,” the complaint further read. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio