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Philippine VP Sara Duterte faces fourth impeachment amid 2028 presidential bid
All complaints point to Duterte’s alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds within 18 months in office since July 2022, including misspending P500 million within 11 days in December 2022
- PUBLISHED: Thu 19 Feb 2026, 11:55 AM
After announcing her plans to run for president in 2028, Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte was slapped with another impeachment complaint – her fourth this year, equaling the number of petitions filed against her in 2025.
All complaints point to Duterte’s alleged misuse of P612.5 million (Dh39 million) in confidential funds within her first 18 months in office since July 2022. This includes Duterte’s misspending of P500 million (Dh29.9 million), which she allegedly exhausted within 11 days in December 2022, largely to rent “safety houses.”
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The complaints also said Duterte allegedly spent P112.5 million (Dh7.1 million) in confidential funds for the Department of Education (DepEd) that special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda said were turned over to Duterte’s security officers.
The Commission on Audit disallowed at least P73 million (Dh4.64 million) from the expenditures, an amount Duterte has yet to account to the commission’s satisfaction.
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The complaints said Duterte tried to justify the spending with thousands of acknowledgment receipts to recipients such as Mary Grace Piattos, who do not exist in any other official lists, such as birth records.
The first complaint also cited Duterte's disrespect for Congress’ oversight mandate over public funds, making her unworthy of her public office.
In addition, Duterte is also accused of accountability in extrajudicial killings while she was Davao City mayor during the incumbency of her father and former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte. This is on top of being on record she has a ready assassin to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House of Representatives (HOR) speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
Constitutional mechanism
The fourth impeachment complaint was filed on Wednesday by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera, and endorsed by deputy speaker Francisco Paolo Ortega V and Manila City 6th district representative Bienvenido Abante Jr. It had been duly received by HOR secretary general Cheloy Garafil, joining the first three grievances filed by progressive groups, civil society organizations and religious leaders.
Speaker Bodjie Dy has until March 2nd to include the complaints in the plenary's order of business. Only then would the impeachment proceeding be considered “officially initiated.”
Impeachments are the country’s constitutional mechanism to remove high government officials, such as the president, vice president, and Supreme Court justices, from office. It is, however, highly politicised, allowing impeached officials to escape full trials if they have more allies in either HOR or the Senate.