Civil society and left-wing political groups in the Philippines have filed another impeachment petition against Vice President Sara Duterte, accusing her of misusing public funds without proper explanation during her time as Education Secretary. They have also revived allegations that she threatened to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Leaders of civil society and members of the left-wing alliance in the Philippines officially submitted a new impeachment petition against Vice President Sara Duterte. This follows a previous process that was halted by a Supreme Court order last year.
The petition targets allegations that Sara Duterte abused her authority in managing approximately 612.5 million pesos (about 329 million baht) of public funds while serving as Secretary of Education. It also revives claims that she threatened to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who was once her political ally.
The main issue raised is the lack of transparency regarding a large budget that cannot be properly accounted for. Leila de Lima, a former senator supporting the petition, stated, "It is time for Vice President Sara to be held accountable." This revised petition is more legally precise and stricter than the original, which the Supreme Court dismissed for being a duplicate filing within the same year.
Sara Duterte's legal team issued a statement expressing confidence that all accusations are baseless and that her innocence will be definitively proven.
On the same day, the House Justice Committee began an impeachment inquiry into President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is accused of involvement in a multi-billion-dollar flood control project fraud, described as a "ghost project" or nonexistent infrastructure.
This issue has deeply angered the Filipino public, as many cities were submerged by severe typhoons last year, yet the flood control projects failed to perform effectively despite the large budget spent.
Outside the parliament building, around 100 protesters from the Makabayan group gathered holding signs calling for the removal of both President Marcos and Vice President Sara. They stated the protest serves as a reminder to politicians that loyalty should be to the people, not to political families or those in power.
Under the Philippine Constitution, if the House of Representatives votes to impeach, the case moves to the Senate for trial. If found guilty, the official must immediately vacate their position and is barred from political involvement for life. This could impact Sara Duterte's anticipated 2028 presidential bid.
. AFP