Dalawang impeachment complaint ang inihain sa Kamara de Representantes ngayong Lunes laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte.

Sa ulat ni Isa Umali sa Super Radyo dzBB, sinabing mga miyembro ng Makabayan Coalition ang naghain ng unang reklamo sa Office of the Secretary General, at inindorso ng Makabayan bloc.

Sa panayam, sinabi ni dating Bayan Muna representative Neri Colmenares, na may kaugnayan pa rin sa umano’y maanomalyang paggamit ni Duterte ng confidential funds ang inihain nilang reklamo.

Sinabi naman ni dating ACT Teachers party-list representative France Castro, na naniniwala sila na pinagtaksilan ni Duterte ang tiwala ng publiko.

"Ngayong araw ang Makabayan bloc ay nag-submit ng impeachment complaint round 2 laban kay Vice President Sara Duterte. 'Yung complaint natin ay basically on betrayal of public trust so nakita naman natin noong mga hearing na kinonduct dito sa 19th Congress 'yung tungkol sa confidential funds," saad niya.

Inihayag naman ni dating Gabriela party-list representative Arlene Brosas, na ipinagdarasal nila na idedeklara ng Committee on Justice na sufficient in form and substance ang impeach complaint para umusad ang deliberasyon.

"Hindi natin bibigyan ng excuse ang second highest position in the land. Kung kurap ang pinakatuktok, kurap din ang pangalawang nasa tuktok, dapat lang ma impeach," giit niya.

First complaint

Sa unang reklamo, inakusahan si Duterte ng betrayal of public trust dahil sa pag-abuso umano ni Duterte sa kaniyang kapangyarihan sa paggamit ng P612.5 million confidential funds na mula December 2022 hanggang ikatlong quarter ng 2023.

"Respondent Duterte betrayed public trust by her gross disregard of transparency and accountability, making a mockery of the audit process by 1) ordering subordinates to prepare implausible accomplishment reports supported by fabricated liquidation reports and falsified documents, and 2) to submit the same to the commission on audit to support the questionable use of confidential funds that is not in accordance with laws and regulations, causing great injury to the government and the taxpayers," saad sa reklamo.

Second complaint

Ilang minute matapos ihain ang unang reklamo, isinampa naman nina Tindig Pilipinas convenor Kiko Aquino Dee, dating presidential peace process adviser Ging Deles, Father Flavie Villanueva at ilan pa ang ikalawang reklamo sa House Secretary General, ang ikalawang reklamo. Inindorso naman ito nina ML Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima at Akbayan Rep. Percy Cendaña.

"Respondent Duterte disclose a disturbing pattern of conduct marked by corruption, concealment, violence, and open defiance of constitutional order. They strike at the core of democratic governance, undermine the rule of law, and erode public confidence in the institutions meant to serve the people," saad sa ikalawang reklamo.

"These are precisely the evils that impeachment was designed to confront. Public office is not a shield against accountability. Electoral mandate does not excuse lawlessness, nor does power confer immunity from constitutional restraint. When a public officer sworn to preserve and defend the Constitution instead subverts it, the people, through their representatives, must act," dagdag nito.

Isinama ng Tindig Pilipinas sa reklamo ang alegasyon ni Ramil Madriaga laban kay Duterte.

Ayon kay Dee, nakababahala ang alegasyon ni Madriaga na kailangang imbestigahan sa pamamagitan ng impeachment proceedings.

"With a renewed call to the public to resist impunity, the coalition enjoined both the people and the Congress to safeguard our democratic institutions. We have to prove that our democracy is strong enough to hold the Dutertes to account," ani Dee.

"No dynasty, no sitting official, and no office is above the law. The Dutertes' culture of impunity must end now," dagdag niya.

Sa isang pahayag, sinabi ng kampo ni Duterte na handa silang harapin ang impeachment complaints, at iginiit na walang basehan ang mga alegasyon laban sa pangalawang pangulo.

Inihayag naman ni Atty. Michael Poa, tagapagsalita ng defense team ni Duterte, hindi na sila nagulat sa inihaing mga bagong impeachment complaint. Inihayag din niya na, ”impeachment is a constitutional process governed by evidence and due process.”

“We are prepared to confront these allegations squarely through the proper constitutional processes, confident that a fair and impartial review will demonstrate that the accusations are devoid of both factual and legal basis,” ani Poa.

Kamakailan lang, inilabas ng Korte Suprema ang pinal na desisyon na nagbabasura sa impeachment complaint na isinampa laban kay Duterte noong nakaraang taon dahil sa umano sa paglabag sa patakaran ng “one year ban” sa pagsasampa ng reklamo.

Batay sa desisyon ng SC, ayon kay House justice panel chairperson Gerville Luistro, nagsimula ang one-year ban sa paghahain ng impeachment complaint laban kay Duterte noong February 5, 2025.

''But even if we do not have any hand, we are not responsible to the filing of those complaints or impeachment complaints. So it’s up to the Congress to evaluate and decide with regard to the subject matter,'' anang kongresista nitong Lunes.

"However, if you are referring to the [January 28, 2026] resolution recently issued by the Supreme Court, they were saying that the first impeachment complaint filed on December 2, 2024…due to inaction of the House, was deemed initiated when the period of 10 session days lapsed [on January 14, 2025],” patuloy niya.

“That is why by implication, by January 15, 2026 nag-lapse na ang one year prohibition period," sabi pa ng mambabatas.

Inihayag naman ni House justice panel vice chairperson Belle Zamora, na clincher ang pagbabago ng SC sa interpetasyon ng session day ng kapulungan.

Sa umiiral na House rules, ang session day at matatapos kung may adjournment ng session. Dahil dito, ang isang session day ay mas matagal na hindi gaya ng isang calendar day na 24 oras lang.

“The Supreme Court said [under its January 28 resolution] that a session day for purposes of impeachment proceedings, and the impeachment being a very important process, a session day is equivalent to a calendar day. As such, the timeline [on the reckoning of the one year bar] was adjusted by the Supreme Court,” ayon kay Zamora.

“And based on the January 28 resolution, the first impeachment complaint against the Vice President was filed on December 2, 2025. So they counted [session days equivalent to calendar days], that would make January 15 as the reckoning point. Kaya po nag-file [sila] ngayon kasi that's the first session day after the period, after the issuance of the January 28 Supreme Court resolution,” dagdag niya.—Llanesca Panti Bernadette Reyes Sherylin Untalan/FRJ GMA Integrated News