Impeachment case vs VP to be further consolidated
Civil society leaders and clergy who filed the second impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte will formally withdraw their case today, saying they will now give their “full support” to the third complaint.
“We believe that the impeachment process must proceed at the earliest possible time, free from procedural limbo and unnecessary legal delays that would otherwise obstruct the process,” Tindig Pilipinas, the civil society group led by Kiko Aquino Dee, said in a statement, as it noted the third complaint contained the same serious allegations and substantial evidence as the group’s original filing.
Emphasizing the urgency to move the impeachment process forward so the Senate may be convened as an impeachment court, the petitioners said Duterte must be held accountable for alleged corruption and abuse of power at the soonest possible time.
‘Moral concern’
Earlier in February, civil society groups filed two separate impeachment complaints against the Vice President, accusing her of betraying public trust, misusing funds, violating the Constitution and committing corruption and bribery.
The first complaint was supported by the Makabayan coalition, including former lawmakers France Castro and Neri Colmenares.
The second was filed by Dee, who was joined by Representatives Percival Cendaña and Leila de Lima.
It also accused her of gross incompetence and abuse of power as well as tolerating extrajudicial killings while participating in efforts to destabilize the government.
Clergy members also submitted an impeachment complaint against Duterte, citing it as a matter of “moral concern.”
The Vice President is alleged to have committed “gross abuse of discretionary powers” in relation to the P612.5 million in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which Duterte used to head.
Duterte also publicly stated in an online rant on Nov. 23, 2024, that she hired an assassin to target President Marcos, first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and then Speaker Martin Romualdez.
On Feb. 18, she announced her plan to run for president.
She also claimed that politically motivated investigations and repeated accusations, including what she called “scripted” congressional hearings, were aimed at harming her reputation.
Members of the Makabayan bloc criticized Duterte’s announcement of her 2028 presidential bid, describing it as a “distraction” and a “calculated” move ahead of the impeachment proceedings.
