Catholic Priests File Impeachment Complaint Against VP Sara Duterte
Priests Lead Third Impeachment Bid Against Philippine Vice President
MANILA – A group of Catholic priests,joined by civil society leaders and a lawyer,filed a third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday,December 19th,accusing her of betraying public trust and misusing public funds.The complaint, endorsed by Representatives Gabriel Bordado and Lex Colada, argues that Duterte’s alleged mishandling of confidential funds warrants her immediate removal from office.“On behalf of the Filipino people, complainants believe that it is not only the constitutional obligation of the members of the House of Representatives to impeach, and for the Senate to remove from office, Vice President Sara Z. Duterte. That obligation now becomes a moral one,” the document reads.
Six priests, including Reverend Father Antonio Labiao Jr. and Father Daniel Franklin “Danny” Pilario, a vocal critic of the government’s drug war, are among the complainants. They are joined by leaders of four non-governmental organizations,a lawyer,and the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao.
Allegations of Misuse of Funds
Similar to the previous two impeachment complaints, this latest effort centers on Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education (DepEd). The complainants allege that Duterte committed plunder by failing to account for the P125 million allocated to the Office of the Vice President in 2022 and the P112.5 million given to DepEd in 2023.
The complaint cites congressional deliberations that revealed questionable practices, including the involvement of Duterte’s security personnel in handling confidential funds and the submission of receipts signed by individuals with no verifiable birth records.
“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 petition asks.
Call for Accountability
The complainants argue that impeachment is the only way to hold Duterte accountable for her alleged actions.
“Impeachment is the necessary, ultimate line of defense against corruption at the highest rungs of officialdom,” the complaint states. “She cannot be Vice President a minute longer.”
The 1987 Constitution mandates that House Speaker Martin Romualdez has 10 session days to include the impeachment complaint in the order of business and three days to refer it to the justice committee. With Congress adjourned for the holidays, these actions will likely take place when the House resumes session in January.
priests Lead Third Impeachment Bid Against Philippine Vice President
MANILA – In a move unprecedented in recent Philippine politics, a group of Catholic priests, joined by civil society leaders and a lawyer, filed a third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on December 19th. The complaint accuses her of betraying public trust and misusing public funds.
Endorsed by Representatives Gabriel Bordado and Lex Colada, the complaint centers on Duterte’s alleged mishandling of confidential funds allocated to her office and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The complainants, which include prominent figures such as Reverend Father Antonio Labiao Jr.and Father Daniel Franklin “Danny” Pilario, a vocal critic of the government’s drug war, allege that Duterte committed plunder by failing to account for P125 million allocated to the Office of the Vice President in 2022 and P112.5 million given to DepEd in 2023. They cite congressional deliberations revealing “questionable practices,” including the alleged involvement of Duterte’s security personnel in handling confidential funds and the submission of receipts signed by individuals with no verifiable birth records.
This latest impeachment effort echoes the previous two complaints, all raising concerns about Duterte’s management of confidential funds.
The complainants argue that impeachment is the only way to hold Duterte accountable for her alleged actions, stating, “Impeachment is the necessary, ultimate line of defense against corruption at the highest rungs of officialdom. She cannot be Vice President a minute longer.”
According to the 1987 Constitution, House Speaker Martin romualdez has 10 session days to include the impeachment complaint in the order of business and three days to refer it to the justice committee. due to the holiday adjournment of Congress, these actions are expected to take place in January when the House resumes session.