Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday condemned the filing of plunder and graft complaints against her, branding the move by civil society groups as “another fishing expedition” aimed at diverting public attention from corruption issues confronting the Marcos administration.
“Another fishing expedition is now being launched as they scramble to weaponize any accusation they can manufacture just to create a semblance of procedural legitimacy for an investigation,” VP Sara said in a statement.
The complaints were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against Duterte and 15 officials of the Department of Education and the Office of the Vice President over the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds from 2022 to 2023.
Complainants accused Duterte of malversation and other offenses, claiming she failed to fully account for the spending despite extended congressional scrutiny.
Duterte rejected the allegations, describing them as part of sustained political harassment and likening them to the impeachment attempt earlier filed against her, which she also labeled a “fishing expedition.”
She said the latest move was meant to distract from alleged large-scale corruption involving flood control and infrastructure projects under the Marcos administration.
“Hinihikayat ko ang ating mga kababayan na maging mapanuri at huwag basta magpapadala sa mga paninira. Hindi ito tungkol sa paghahanap ng katotohanan— ito ay tungkol sa pagtakip ng nakawan sa kaban ng bayan na hanggang ngayon ay walang nananagot,” she said.
She also called on the public to remain resilient amid economic difficulties.
“Patuloy lamang tayong maging matatag sa harap ng pagbagsak ng ekonomiya at walang tigil na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga bilihin. Patuloy tayong magdasal para sa kapayapaan,” Duterte added.