Philippine groups file impeachment bid against VP Duterte

A COALITION of activists in the Philippines lodged an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday (Dec 2), accusing her of corruption and misconduct.

The complaint adds to Duterte’s legal woes as she faces a probe into her alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos and another inquiry into her use of government funds.

Filed by an alliance of civil society groups, the impeachment complaint was endorsed by the opposition Akbayan party, but it is unclear if it will get the backing of the one-third of lawmakers needed to move to a Senate trial.

While Marcos’ allies hold a majority in the House of Representatives, he has publicly called such efforts a waste of time.

The complaint seeks Duterte’s impeachment on grounds of “culpable violation of the constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust and other high crimes”, Akbayan said in a statement.

One of the complainants, activist Teresita Quintos Deles, accused Duterte of insulting the rule of law.

“The vice president has reduced public office to a platform for violent rhetoric, personal enrichment, elitist entitlement and a shield for impunity,” she said.

Duterte has yet to respond to an AFP request for comment.

The daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte swept to power in 2022 in an alliance with Marcos that has spectacularly collapsed in the lead-up to next year’s mid-term elections.

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Duterte on Friday failed to show up for a meeting with government investigators after being labelled the “self-confessed mastermind” of a plot to kill Marcos.

She was subpoenaed following a press conference where she claimed to have told someone to kill the president should an alleged threat against her own life be carried out. She later said the comments were misinterpreted.

She is also facing an investigation in the House of Representatives, led by Marcos’ cousin Martin Romualdez, over her alleged misuse of millions of dollars in government funds. AFP