Duterte says Akbayan-endorsed complaint ‘baseless', 'an abuse of impeachment'

MANILA (UPDATED) — Vice President Sara Duterte on Saturday dismissed the new impeachment complaint against her endorsed by Akbayan Party-list as “baseless" and a supposed "abuse of process".

In a statement issued on social media, Sara Duterte asserted the complaint has no evidence to substantiate it.

“Ang impeachment complaint na inendorso ng Akbayan ay isang papel na walang kalakip na kahit anong ebidensiyang magpapatunay sa mga paratang na isinasaad dito,” Duterte said in a statement. 

(The impeachment complaint endorsed by Akbayan is a paper with no evidence supporting its accusations.)

'POLITICAL MOTIVATION'

The vice president also dismissed the party-list’s credibility to endorse or file a complaint against her, claiming there was a "political motivation" behind the move, which she said “stemmed from the party-list leader's plan to run for presidency.”

Akbayan is led by its president Rafaela David, who said the vice president's statement "reeks of fear, poorly disguised as bravado."

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, who has expressed she is open to running for president in 2028 if there is a united opposition bloc, is a member of Akbayan and is a chair emerita, an honorary title also held by former Rep. Etta Rosales.

Duterte said it is clear that the impeachment complaint is a form of harassment and "an abuse" of the impeachment process.

The impeachment complaint against Duterte endorsed by Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña and ML Party-list Rep. Leila De Lima was the second filed after the one-year bar lapsed. 

The complaint — filed by Tindig Pilipinas’ Francis “Kiko” Aquino Dee, Sylvia Estrada Claudio, and other civil society leaders — accused Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

Dee said they are confident with the complaints, adding the allegations are similar to those in the impeachment complaint that the House adopted in February. 

Trial on those Articles of Impeachment was cancelled by a Supreme Court ruling that they were unconstitutional because of a ban on initiating multiple impeachment proceedings.

"Sana maipresenta na ebidensiya ng bise-presidente at ebidenisya namin para malaman na kung anong nangyari dito sa confidential and intel funds," he added.

(We hope that the vice president and the complainants will be able to prsent their evidence to find out what happened to these confidential and intel funds)

The first complaint — filed by members of the Makabayan coalition and endorsed by Makabayan lawmakers Antonio Tinio, Renee Co, and Sarah Elago — accused the vice president of betrayal of public trust over alleged misuse of confidential funds. 

'Today is the day': 2 new impeachment complaints filed vs Sara Duterte

AKBAYAN'S DAVID: DUTERTE RATTLED

David noted that the impeachment complaint seems to have rattled Duterte enough "to release a video message, not to answer the serious charges, but to desperately attack us" and Hontiveros.

She said that the prospect of Duterte being impeached "grows more real by the day", she said, adding the Senate President Vicente Sotto III has said the upper house is ready to hold a trial if necessary.

"Simple lang naman ang hinihingi sa kanya, ipaliwanag ang pagwaldas ng pera ng bayan," David also said, adding the vice president has yet to explain alleged irregularities in her office's use of confidential funds. 

(Our demand is simple, that she explain the waste of public funds)

‘HINDI NA BAGO’

Duterte said impeachment complaints are not new to her and said they were “a response after she quit the Cabinet.”

The first complaints against her in December 2024 were filed by activists and members of civil society who have also been critical of the Marcos Jr. administration.

The vice president also claimed the Senate’s investigation into her alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds was not in aid of legislation, but to create a “fishing expedition for her planned impeachment.”

“Paulit-ulit nilang ibinandera ang isyung ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ bilang umano’y bahid ng katiwalian, kahit na sa kabila ng lahat ng imbestigasyon ay wala silang naipakitang kahit isang direktang paglabag sa paggamit ng confidential funds,” she said. 

(They often mention the ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ issue as a stain of corruption, but the investigation showed no violation of the use of confidential funds.)

“Mary Grace Piattos” is one of the alleged beneficiaries of the confidential funds flagged by lawmakers.

The Philippine Statistics Authority confirmed the person does not exist, having no birth, marriage or death certificates. 

The vice president's camp earlier said the name could be a pseudonym.

Will VP Duterte finally answer who is Mary Grace Piattos?

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