Tiangco's yes vote in Sara Duterte impeachment: Senate is right venue for her defense

Even if he criticized some pro-impeachment lawmakers as ill-motivated in the past, Navotas City Rep. Toby Tiangco on Monday voted in favor of the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, saying accountability should not be selective.

This was how Tiangco explained his yes vote, stressing that accountability is anchored on the 1987 Constitution.

“Hindi madali ang bumoto ng ‘yes.’ Mabigat ang timing – sa gitna ng krisis sa Gitnang Silangan at sa panahong hirap ang ating mga kababayan. Mas kailangan ngayon ang mga batas na direktang makakatulong sa kanila. Ngunit malinaw din sa ating Saligang Batas na may itinakdang proseso at panahon para resolbahin ang impeachment,” he said.

(It is not easy to vote yes. The timing is grave – amidst a crisis in the Middle Eat and when our countrymen are struggling. What is needed are laws that would directly help them. But our Constitution is also clear that there is a process and time to resolve impeachment.)

“May mga nagsasabing walang moral authority ang House dahil sa mas malalaking isyu ng korupsyon na hanggang ngayon ay wala pang napapanagot. Totoo – at dapat din itong tutukan. Pero hindi pwedeng gawing dahilan ito para ipagpaliban o balewalain ang mas maliliit na isyung kailangang sagutin. Ang accountability ay hindi pinipili,” he added.

(Some would say the House has no moral authority because of corruption issues and with no one held accountable yet. True – and this should be addressed. But this should not be made a reason to defer or ignore the smaller issues that also need to be answered. Accountability is not selective.)

It may be recalled that some of the points revealed during the House justice committee’s impeachment proceedings are:

• The Commission on Audit (COA) revealing that the notice of disallowance on the P73 million confidential fund in 2022 was upheld by the COA commission proper;
• The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) representatives testifying on signatures in the acknowledgment receipts of recipients of confidential funds;
• Gloria Camora, a lawyer of COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, confirming that COA also issued three notices of disallowance on three releases of confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2023 worth P125 million each or P375 million in total;
• The Vice President not declaring any cash on hand or in bank under her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) from 2019 to 2024;
• The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report flagging P6.7 billion worth of bank transactions of the Vice President and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, as covered and suspicious transactions from 2006 to 2025, with inflow standing at P4.425 billion and outflow at P1.55 billion;
• The AMLC report revealing that there is a derogatory record for the Vice President and her husband;
• The AMLC report showing that Duterte was the subject of suspicion in 27 confidential reports dated August 2, 2024 to January 29, 2026 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, graft and corrupt practices, and malversation of public funds and property in connection with the House Quad Committee hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs; news reports alleging the involvement of the Vice President’s husband in the P6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017; and the news reports on the Vice President’s alleged misuse of confidential funds;
• The AMLC report showing that Carpio, as subject of suspicion in 17 confidential reports from September 14, 2017 to April 25, 2025 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, and malversation of public funds and property “in connection with the news reports on his alleged involvement in the P6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and news articles in relation to his wife’s alleged misuse of confidential/intelligence funds.”

“Hindi pwedeng hindi ipaliwanag yan. Since hindi pinaliwanag dito, ang vote of yes ay parang bigyan ng pagkakataon na maipaliwanag yan sa tamang venue. At ‘yung tamang venue ay Senado,” Tiangco said in a separate interview.

(This cannot go unexplained. Since it was unexplained, the vote of yes is to give a chance to explain this in the right venue. And the right venue is the Senate.)

“Dapat ipaliwanag ito, hindi pa pwedeng hindi. So ‘yan ang pinakaresponsable decision sa ngayon,” he added.

(This should be explained, this cannot go unanswered. So this is the most responsible decision as of now.)

In January this year, Tiangco questioned if the House has the moral authority to sign off on an impeachment complaint when its members are being linked to anomalous flood control projects.

A few months later in March, he said those who want to impeach Duterte are those lawmakers who are afraid to being held accountable over the flood control mess should Duterte win as President in 2028.

Ultimately, Tiangco said all public officials should all be held accountable, regardless of position.

“Ipakita natin sa taumbayan na walang pinipili ang hustisya. Walang kampihan, walang proteksyon – kahit pa gaano kalaki o kaliit ang kaso,” he said.

(Let us show the people that justice does not favor or protect anyone – no matter how big or small the case is.) — JMA, GMA News