MANILA, Feb 2 - Civil society groups and left-leaning activists have lodged two new impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte, renewing accusations of corruption, betrayal of public trust and other alleged crimes.
The filings, submitted on Monday, echo the charges brought in a previous attempt to remove Duterte from office last year. That earlier bid was halted after the Supreme Court ruled the process had breached constitutional safeguards.
The complainants accuse the vice president of a series of alleged improprieties, including the misuse of public funds, engaging in bribery tied to government contracts and issuing threats to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the first lady and a former House speaker who is also the president's cousin. They additionally allege that Duterte has ignored congressional inquiries.
One of the complaints states: "The constitution does not permit such cynical disregard for public trust. It does not allow the Vice President to treat public funds as a personal war chest while stonewalling all attempts at oversight."
A lawyer for the vice president described the renewed legal challenge as expected and said they will address the allegations through established constitutional channels. "We are prepared to confront these allegations squarely through the proper constitutional processes," Michael Poa said in a statement on Duterte's behalf.
The renewed complaints arrive as Duterte remains politically engaged in a sharp rivalry with President Marcos. Observers widely view the vice president as a leading contender for the 2028 presidential election. Marcos, who is barred from seeking another term by the single-term limit on the presidency, is nonetheless anticipated to support a successor in an effort to prevent Duterte from attaining the presidency.
Marcos himself is the subject of a separate impeachment complaint currently before the House of Representatives.
The president's communications office declined to weigh in on the merits of the new complaints, characterizing the matter as one for Congress to adjudicate. It added: "We respect the rule of law and we respect due process. The president wants to fight corruption as much as he can, and people deserve to know the truth."
Legal and political analysts point to two factors that could complicate any effort to remove the vice president this time. First, the Supreme Court imposed additional procedures after last year’s attempt was invalidated, introducing new legal hurdles for impeachment filings to clear. Second, the makeup of the Senate changed following last year’s midterm election, with a larger number of Duterte allies now sitting in that chamber. Since senators act as jurors in impeachment trials, their composition is consequential.
Senator Risa Hontiveros commented on the increased difficulty at a forum with foreign correspondents on Monday: "It’s even more challenging now, I would say, given this Supreme Court final ruling."
The renewed complaints mark the latest development in a contentious and closely watched political contest. The complainants have presented specific allegations and urged congressional scrutiny, while Duterte has previously denied similar claims. How Congress will handle these new filings, and whether they will meet the procedural and political thresholds required to proceed, remains uncertain.
Context note: The filings described here were submitted on Monday and reflect the claims and positions stated by the complainants, the vice president's legal representative and the president's communications office.