House leader eyes 2 possible impeachment grounds vs. VP Sara

FILE: Vice President Sara Duterte briefed senators on proposed 2025 budget of the Office of Vice President (OVP). For next year, the OVP is seeking a budget of P2.037 billion, which will be allotted to personal services, maintenance and other operating expenses, and capital outlay. (Photo: Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate Social Media Unit via Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

By Filane Mikee Cervantes, Philippine News Agency

MANILA – The chairperson of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability is looking at potential grounds for impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, particularly graft and corruption and betrayal of public trust, amid its ongoing probe into her office’s alleged fund misuse.

In a news release on Monday, committee chair and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua said his panel’s probe, which was initially conducted “in aid of legislation”, has revealed serious questions about Duterte’s management of public funds, particularly concerning the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) PHP125 million in confidential funds spent in just 11 days in December 2022.

“Na-shock po ang lahat sa PHP125 million na nagastos in 11 days (Everyone was shocked by the PHP125 million spent in 11 days),” Chua said.

Chua noted that the Commission on Audit (COA) issued a Notice of Disallowance (ND) for PHP73.28 million of the OVP’s PHP125 million confidential funds in 2022.

The COA directed Duterte and other OVP officials to settle the disallowed amount due to alleged regulatory violations.

Chua said the Vice President could face impeachment for graft and corruption, citing issues such as the alleged unaccounted PHP15 million in confidential funds within the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure as Secretary and the OVP’s alleged overpriced rental payments for safe houses.

Based on the committee’s findings, the DepEd, under Duterte’s leadership, had falsely claimed to have used its confidential funds for a youth training program, though military officers testified that “the Philippine Army and local government units” covered most of the expenses.

“Pare-parehas po tayong nagtatanong kung saan napunta ‘yung PHP15 million. May certification, sine-certify pero inamin naman ng Army na hindi sa kanila napunta, walang dinownload. Ngayon ang tanong—saan napunta? (We are all asking where the PHP15 million went. There is a certification, it was certified but the Army admitted that it didn’t go to them; nothing was downloaded. Now the question is—where did it go?),” Chua said.

The committee hearing also discovered that over PHP16 million in confidential funds were reportedly used to rent 34 safe houses between Dec. 21 and 31, 2022.

Records show the OVP made payments ranging from PHP250,000 to PHP1 million per property owner between Dec. 21 and 31, 2022. These rentals, detailed in the OVP’s liquidation report to the COA, were part of a rapid PHP125 million confidential funds expenditure over the 11-day period.

“Walang detalye. Hindi po natin alam kung totoo nga pong nagamit sa rentals (There were no details. We don’t know if it was actually used for rentals),” Chua said.

Chua said the spending has acknowledgment receipts that were unsigned, illegible, missing names, or only included signatures, and lacked supporting documents like lease contracts, thus raising questions about the transactions.

Chua further suggested that Duterte’s actions could constitute betrayal of public trust, particularly given the entrusted funds.

“Ito pong ginagawa niya hindi pa ba betrayal of public trust? Pinagkatiwalaan ka ng pondo tapos ‘di ka sumusunod, ‘di ba? Hindi mo ginamit ‘yung pondo para sa ayos, (What she’s doing, is it not yet betrayal of public trust? You were entrusted with the [public] funds, then you don’t follow [regulations]? You didn’t use the funds judiciously,)” he said.

Chua, however, clarified that the committee’s goal is not to pursue impeachment, but rather address potential legislative reforms.

“Right from the very beginning, siya (Duterte) lang naman nagbabanggit (she’s the one mentioning it),” Chua said. “Eh ako naman po ginagawa ko lamang ang trabaho ko dahil ito ay ni-refer sa aking committee (As for me, I’m just doing my job because this was referred to my committee).”

While Chua refrained from concluding that impeachment was certain, he noted that the committee’s findings could indeed be used as grounds.

“Kung ganito ang pagbabasehan natin, pwedeng may grounds. But siyempre ayaw po natin mag-conclude pa (If this is our basis, then there are possible grounds. But of course, we don’t want to conclude yet),” he said, stressing that Duterte still has the opportunity to address the allegations publicly.