For the first time in Philippine history, the budget of the office of the vice president was deferred twice by a committee of the House of Representatives. Vice President Sara Duterte’s refusal to answer queries from legislators led to the deferral of her proposed budget for 2025. When she skipped the rescheduled hearing, her budget was again not approved and transmitted to the plenary with a substantial reduction.
If she continues to evade questions from Congress, she could face impeachment.
Legislators initially wanted to determine Duterte’s use of confidential funds in 2022. Later, audit reports revealed more irregularities concerning the distribution of aid by her office and questionable expenses of her satellite offices. Government auditors flagged numerous issues such as “undistributed food items nearing expiration, missing food items, and improper storage conditions in unventilated shipping containers and food trucks, multiple deficiencies in the distribution of welfare goods which include missing distribution lists, unverified beneficiary data, and delayed financial reports.”
Duterte could have explained these anomalies but she didn’t attend the budget hearing of her office and even accused the House leadership of manipulating the people’s money. She claimed her office had already provided necessary documentation about the concerns raised by auditors, but chose to ignore Congress. Legislators interpreted her stonewalling not just as an insult to the institution but also as an “attempt to mislead the public.”
An opposition lawmaker pointed out that there’s now enough basis to file an impeachment complaint against the vice president. Asked about this, Duterte said she has recorded conversations of House members discussing her impeachment.
Her supporters warned Congress against impeaching an elected official who got more than 30 million votes in 2022. Senator Imee Marcos, the elder sister of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, echoed this line and described the impeachment threat as a dangerous action that would undermine democracy.
“These steps are an insult to the people’s decision and election results; an affront to the people’s voice and right to choose their leader,” Imee Marcos said in a statement. “Are you looking for trouble to divide the country which has so many problems these days?” she added.
But opposition legislator France Castro reminded Marcos that impeachment is a constitutional mechanism to pursue accountability. She said in a statement: “Threatening those who wish to exercise their right to hold officials accountable is a direct attack on democracy. It is imperative that we uphold the people’s right to seek redress against abuses of power.”
After Duterte’s non-appearance in Congress, legislators realigned a substantial amount of her proposed budget to government agencies whose mandate is to provide social services. But she should prepare for the worst scenario, which involves House members endorsing an impeachment complaint against her. If one-third of the total members of the House of Representatives signed an impeachment complaint against Duterte, she will face impeachment proceedings in the Senate. She will be barred from holding an elected position if she is impeached.
The notion of impeaching Duterte was unthinkable a year ago, given her solid standing in the unity government headed by Marcos Jr. But over the past year, the rift between the Marcos and Duterte political dynasties has worsened and led to the resignation of the vice president from the Cabinet. Duterte’s family members and supporters have even called for the resignation of Marcos Jr., whom they accused of being drug dependent.
The squabble among erstwhile allies in the ruling coalition has exposed the corruption and abuses committed by those in power. The ongoing investigation into the human rights violations of the previous government – former President Rodrigo Duterte is Sara Duterte’s father – could only take place when the two powerful clans started to clash and maneuver for power. Vice President Duterte’s controversial spending is now under scrutiny, but citizen watchdogs and anti-corruption stakeholders can exert the same vigilance and demand Congress to also look into the pork barrel funds of the president.
Duterte can only appeal to her loyal supporters to thwart audit investigations and impeachment initiatives. She cannot mobilize and lead opposition forces, which have been demanding accountability not just about her spending but also her role in the notorious “war on drugs” enforced by her father.
In the past two decades, legislators in the Philippines have endorsed impeachment petitions against presidents and Supreme Court chief justices. As Duterte continues to dismiss demands for transparency and accountability, she could soon become the first vice president to face an impeachment trial.