THE Makabayan bloc in Congress, have initiated efforts to gather the required one-third of signatures from House members to sign the Resolution of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte based on the citizens’ complaint signed by 72 individuals from various sectors led by BAYAN and Makabayan. According to the Constitution and the House rules on impeachment, securing the signatures of 106 representatives will automatically transmit the Resolution to the Senate for trial.
The complaint, filed by teachers, youth, workers, peasants, religious leaders, human rights advocates, and other concerned citizens, underscores the Vice President’s betrayal of public trust. Her office’s misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, including the highly dubious liquidation of P125 million in mere days at the end of 2022, reveals glaring violations of public accountability, according to Makabayan bloc.
The Commission on Audit (COA) itself flagged these expenditures as irregular, unsupported by legal requirements, and unjustified by concrete outcomes. This blatant misuse of taxpayer money is a grave insult to the Filipino people.
“Hindi ito simpleng paglabag. Ang paggamit ng pondo sa ganitong paraan ay sistematikong pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Ang ganitong katiwalian ay hindi dapat pinapalampas,”stated ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro.
“This is not just about numbers. It is about the integrity of public service and the trust of the people. Sara Duterte must be held accountable for betraying the public’s trust,” emphasized Kabataan Rep. Raoul Manuel.
The impeachment resolution identifies three key grounds for betrayal of public trust:
1. Gross misuse and abuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds;
2. Fabrication of accomplishment reports and receipts submitted to COA to cover up the anomalies; and
3. Obstruction of congressional oversight by refusing to participate in budget hearings and investigations.
“Imbes na humarap at magpaliwanag, pinili ni VP Duterte na umiwas sa mga imbestigasyon at hearings. Ito ay malinaw na paglabag sa prinsipyo ng public accountability,” said GWP Rep. Arlene Brosas.
We urge our colleagues in Congress to act with integrity and political courage by supporting this impeachment resolution. During the budget deliberations, the misuse of confidential funds in the Office of the Vice President (OVP) was exposed. It is now up to the House of Representatives to fulfill its constitutional duty to hold erring public officials accountable.
To the Filipino people, we call on you to stay vigilant and pressure your district representatives to sign the impeachment resolution. Let us demand justice for the misuse of public funds and ensure this case reaches the Senate for a fair trial.
“Ang laban na ito ay laban ng bawat Pilipino laban sa katiwalian. Dapat managot si VP Duterte sa kanyang mga kasalanan sa taumbayan,” said Rep. Brosas.
Finally, we call on the Senate to prepare for an impartial and transparent trial. The Filipino people deserve to see justice prevail.
“This impeachment process is a critical test of our commitment to justice and accountability for the highest public officials Let this serve as a strong message that no one, not even the Vice President, is above the law,” concluded Rep. Castro.
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