The House Committee on Justice has asserted that Vice President Sara Duterte should be impeached, permanently barred from holding public office, and criminally prosecuted for various high crimes.
Under Committee Report 261 on Resolution 989, the panel concluded that there is probable cause to advance the Articles of Impeachment against the nation’s second-highest official.
The 93-page report levels serious allegations against Duterte, including betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and bribery.
The core charges outline a systematic misappropriation of ₱500 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and another ₱112.5 million during her stint as Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary.
Furthermore, the panel accused Duterte of acquiring unexplained wealth disproportionate to her income, failing to accurately disclose her assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net worth (SALNs) from 2022 to 2024, and willfully maintaining her business interests while in office through 2025.
She is also accused of distributing cash gifts to DepEd officials to bypass procurement regulations.
The most severe charge involves state security, alleging that the Vice President contracted the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
“These acts make it glaringly apparent that respondent is utterly unfit to hold public office, much less the second highest position in government. In fact, respondent conducts herself in a way that incites disorder and chaos to the organized government of the Republic of the Philippines,” the committee report read.
The report characterized Duterte’s actions not as isolated missteps, but as a dangerous pattern that threatens democratic stability.
“The explicit threats against the life of the President and other high officials, her conduct that undermines and threatens democratic stability, combined with the misuse of confidential funds, acts of bribery and corruption of public officials, and SALN law violations, collectively demonstrate a consistent disregard for the duties of her office and the oath she swore to uphold,” the panel added.
The committee’s findings are backed by several key pieces of evidence and testimonies gathered during the hearings:
- Fund Misuse: Detainee Ramil Madriaga testified to distributing ₱125 million in OVP confidential funds within 24 hours across multiple cities. The Commission on Audit (COA) also confirmed upholding notices of disallowance on ₱73 million of 2022 confidential funds and flagged an additional ₱375 million from 2023.
- Fictitious Recipients: The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) confirmed that named recipients of the confidential funds, such as a “Mary Grace Piattos,” have no existing records in the national civil registry.
- Unexplained Wealth: Despite declaring no cash on hand or in the bank from 2019 to 2024, an Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report flagged ₱6.7 billion in suspicious bank transactions tied to Duterte and her husband, Atty. Mans Carpio, between 2006 and 2025. The AMLC tied these to flagging reports concerning drug trafficking, graft, and malversation.
- Security Threats: The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) verified that a recorded press conference wherein Duterte threatened the life of the President constitutes grave threats and inciting to sedition.
Impeachment prosecutors announced plans to subpoena more documents and look into the bank records of Duterte and her husband. They are urging the Senate, sitting as an Impeachment Court, to find her guilty, remove her from office, and clear the path for criminal trial.
“Wherefore, it is respectfully prayed that after trial, the Senate, sitting as an Impeachment Court, render judgment: 1. Declaring respondent Vice President Sara Z. Duterte guilty on all the articles of impeachment presented; 2. Imposing upon respondent Vice President Sara Z. Duterte the penalty of removal from office as Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines and perpetual disqualification from holding public office under the Republic of the Philippines; and 3. Declaring that respondent Vice President Sara Z. Duterte will further be liable to prosection, trial and punishment, according to law,” the report said.
The Articles of Impeachment advanced to the House plenary on May 5 and were officially logged into the Order of Business on May 6.
The House plenary vote is anticipated on May 11, where a minimum of one-third—or 106 of the 318 House members—must vote in favor to officially impeach Duterte and send the case to the Senate for trial.