VP Sara impeached: 215 House members sign complaints

UPDATED

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews / 5 Feb) — The House of Representatives has impeached Vice President Sara Duterte after 215 members signed the impeachment complaints alleging misuse of confidential funds, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust.

Vice President Sara Duterte defends her office’s budget, including the controversial confidential funds, during a budget hearing at the House of Representatives on Aug. 24. Photo courtesy of the House of Representatives

Only the vote of one-third of the members of the House, or 102 votes, is required to impeach the President, Vice President, and other officials who can only be removed through impeachment as provided under the 1987 Constitution. According to Secretary General Reginald S. Velasco, the House has a total of 306 members as of Feb. 5.

The process will now move to the Senate, which will act as the impeachment court

The House decision came four days after groups held a rally at the People Power Monument in Quezon City, calling on the chamber to act on the impeachment complaints.

Three complaints

The first impeachment complaint led by Akbayan Rep. Perci Cendaña accuses Duterte of betrayal of public trust for allegedly not properly accounting for P125 million in confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President in 2022, and not liquidating cash advances amounting to P7 billion as Education secretary.

Duterte refused to participate in budget hearings where the alleged misuse of these funds was scrutinized.

The Bagong Alyansang Makabayan filed a second complaint, also accusing the Vice President of betrayal of public trust for alleged misuse of confidential funds.

The third complaint, filed by Catholic priests, civil society leaders and lawyers, alleges plunder, malversation, bribery, and graft and corruption in relation to the P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 for the OVP and P112.5 million in 2023 for the Department of Education.

A first

Duterte is the first Philippine vice president and the fourth impeachable official to be impeached since former President Joseph Estrada in 2000.

Estrada’s impeachment trial was aborted after he was ousted by a military-backed protest dubbed People Power 2 in January 2001. He was convicted of plunder in September 2007 and sentenced to life in prison. But six weeks after, his successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, granted Estrada executive clemency.

Then-Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez was impeached in March 2011. She was accused of betrayal of public trust for alleged mishandling of and inaction on cases involving graft and plunder. She resigned the following month, even before the impeachment trial could begin.

Chief Justice Renato Corona was impeached on December 12, 2011. He was accused of betrayal of public trust for failing to disclose US$2.4 million and P80 million in bank deposits in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. He died on April 29, 2016 due to cardiac arrest.

Both Gutierrez and Corona, who were impeached during the administration of Benigno S. Aquino III, were Arroyo appointees.

The House has named 11 representatives who will serve as prosecutors in the impeachment trial: Gerville “JinkyBitrics” Luistro (Batangas, 2nd Dist.), Romeo Acop (Antipolo, 2nd Dist.), Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez (1-Rider Partylist), Joel Chua (Manila, 3rd Dist.), Rau Angelo “Jil” Bongalon (AKO Bicol), Loreto Acharon (General Santos, Lone Dist.), Marcelino Libanan (4Ps Party-list), Arnan Panaligan (Oriental Mindoro, 1st Dist.), Ysabel Maria Zamora (San Juan, Lone Dist.), Lorenz Defensor (Iloilo, 3rd Dist.), Jonathan Keith Flores (Bukidnon, 2nd Dist.)

They will defend the House’s decision to impeach the Vice President before the Senate. (H. Marcos C. Mordeno / MindaNews)