Church-led groups file 3rd impeach rap vs Sara
A third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was filed on Monday in the House of Representatives by members of the clergy and lawyers from the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, the same groups that filed one of the complaints against the former president’s daughter in December 2024 that was voided by the Supreme Court last year.
On Feb. 2, members of the Makabayan coalition filed the first petition for the second set of impeachment complaints against Duterte, with the complaints centering on her alleged gross abuse of discretionary powers over P612.5 million in confidential funds, gross disregard of transparency and accountability, and her fabrication of liquidation reports and documents. Hours later, members of civil society organizations filed another complaint against the Vice President.
The 98-page third impeachment complaint submitted to the office of House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil on Monday was endorsed by Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima.
It cited as grounds for impeachment Duterte’s alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes relating to more than P500 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023 and P112.5 million allotted to the Department of Education (DepEd) when she headed the agency in 2023; corrupting and bribing officials of DepEd; contracting to murder or assassinate the President, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House; betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, and committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection.
Harassment
The complainants included priests Joel Saballa, Joselito Sarabia, Edilberto Baculi and Rogelio del Rosario; pastor Leonard Arevalo; Pinky Tam; Maria Loreto Lopez; lawyers Jalilo dela Torre, Democrito Barcenas and Lourdes Barcenas; and nuns Ma. Liza Ruedas, Violeta Cecilio and Geraldine Denoga.
Michael Poa, one of Duterte’s lawyers and her spokesperson, said they had expected the filing of additional complaints against the Vice President and that they would just continue to monitor developments and address these through the appropriate constitutional processes.
Duterte said last Saturday that the impeachment complaint against her by Akbayan was a “politically motivated” harassment, accusing the party list group’s most prominent leader in Congress, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, of using it to advance her ambition to run for president in 2028.
Malacañang, meanwhile, has distanced itself from the fresh impeachment complaint, but maintained that any corruption involving public officials should be acted upon to restore the public’s trust.
“The President said that whatever needs to be studied should be handled through the proper process—the rule of law must prevail, and anyone who must be held accountable should be held accountable,” Palace press officer Claire Castro told reporters on Monday.
Unconstitutional
Duterte was first impeached on Feb. 5, 2025, after 215 of 306 House members filed and signed a complaint hinged on allegations of misuse of confidential funds lodged in her offices, threats against ranking officials, and other possible violations of the 1987 Constitution.
The articles of impeachment were immediately transmitted to the Senate on the same day, as the 1987 Constitution states that a trial must begin forthwith if at least a third of all House members endorse the complaint.
But on July 25 last year, the Supreme Court announced that the articles of impeachment were deemed unconstitutional for violating the 1987 Constitution’s one-year bar rule.
The House submitted a motion for reconsideration to appeal the case, but the high court announced on Jan. 29 that it had dismissed with finality the House’s motion for reconsideration.
While the high court gave clarity to impeachment processes in its ruling last month on the case of Duterte, the high tribunal left it to the public to interpret when the next round of complaints can be filed again.
The high tribunal has remained mum when asked for guidance, but a lecturer of state-run Philippine Judicial Academy, which is under the high court, said petitioners for another impeachment complaint against Duterte may already file on Jan. 15.
Lawyer Tranquil Salvador III, who is also the dean of Manila Adventist College’s school of law and jurisprudence, said during the Feb. 6 episode of the Supreme Court podcast that this date was in line with the Jan. 28, 2026, resolution, which redefined what a session day is.
“In light of the new interpretation of the court, which is consistent with due process, and the nature of accountability of impeachment processes, then session days will be counted until Jan. 14, 2025—the 10 days that it should have been included in the order of business. And having said that, the question is: When can they file? They could already file Jan. 15,” explained Salvador.
This deviates from the July 2025 decision of the Supreme Court, which declared that the one-year prohibition rule on impeaching the same public official, in this case, the Vice President, would end on Feb. 6.
Salvador stressed that the pronouncements in the January 2026 ruling of the Supreme Court prevails over the July 2025 decision regarding the inconsistencies. —WITH REPORTS FROM ZACARIAN SARAO, DEXTER CABALZA AND KATHLEEN DE VILLA
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