The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
A fourth impeachment complaint was filed last week at the House of Representatives against Sara Duterte, accusing her of failing to fully disclose assets in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) and allegedly accumulating wealth disproportionate to her lawful income.
The verified complaint, lodged by Atty. Nathaniel Cabrera and endorsed by House Committee on Human Rights chair Bienvenido “Benny” Abante Jr. and Deputy Speaker Francisco Paolo Ortega V, was received at 6:34 p.m. by House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil.
Duterte is accused of culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, bribery, and other high crimes.
Central to the complaint are claims that certain assets, bank accounts, cash holdings, and property transactions were omitted, understated or not fully declared in her SALNs. The filing stresses that the Constitution demands full transparency from high-ranking officials, arguing that any material nondisclosure or accumulation of wealth manifestly disproportionate to legitimate income constitutes an impeachable offense.
The complainant is pushing for a forensic examination of bank records, property transfers, and related financial documents to determine whether public funds were converted into private assets and whether Duterte’s declared net worth reflects her true financial standing.
The allegations of unexplained wealth are tied to reported irregularities in confidential fund disbursements totaling at least ₱612.5 million from December 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, covering both the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The complaint cites the rapid encashment of ₱125 million in December 2022 — allegedly liquidated within 11 days — and subsequent findings by the Commission on Audit flagging irregularities. The COA later issued notices of suspension and disallowance amounting to ₱73.287 million in questioned expenditures.
It also references allegedly fabricated or defective receipts, unverifiable payees, duplicated entries, and sworn statements describing the transport of large sums of cash in duffel bags.
Beyond financial issues, the complaint revives earlier allegations that Duterte publicly admitted to having “asked a person” to kill Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez — an act described in the complaint as a subversion of constitutional order.
Supporting documents include sworn affidavits and witness accounts, including that of Duterte’s alleged bagman Ramil Madriaga; official liquidation and accomplishment reports from the OVP and DepEd; COA audit memoranda and notices of disallowance; Philippine Statistics Authority certifications on purported payees; congressional hearing transcripts; public statements of the respondent; and Joint Circular No. 2015-01 governing confidential and intelligence funds.
The complainant urged the House Committee on Justice to conduct a full probe, issue subpoenas for financial and audit records, and, if warranted, transmit Articles of Impeachment to the Senate for trial.
This latest filing is the fourth impeachment case against Duterte, following three earlier complaints also anchored on her public statements, alleged misuse of confidential funds, and purported non-cooperation with congressional oversight.
With four complaints now pending, the House must decide whether the accusations — particularly those concerning SALN disclosures and alleged unexplained wealth — satisfy the constitutional grounds for impeachment under Article XI of the 1987 Constitution, which allows the removal of the Vice President for culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust.