Fresh Impeachment Complaint Filed Against Vice President Sara Duterte
A new impeachment complaint was formally lodged against Vice President Sara Duterte before the House of Representatives on Monday, February 2, 2026. This marks the latest legal challenge against the Vice President, filed by seventeen members representing various civil society organizations across the Philippines.
Key Allegations and Constitutional Grounds
The complaint outlines several serious allegations that form the basis for seeking impeachment proceedings. Among the central accusations are:
- Threats against top officials, including President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., which complainants argue constitute a breach of public trust and attempts at destabilization.
- Misuse of confidential funds totaling approximately P612.5 million from both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during her tenure as DepEd secretary from 2022 to 2024.
- Bribery and corruption within the Department of Education, specifically tied to contracts and disbursements that occurred under her leadership.
- Undeclared wealth and anomalies in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) filings.
- Involvement or complicity in extrajudicial killings connected to the Duterte family's controversial "war on drugs" campaign.
The legal document invokes constitutional grounds including betrayal of public trust, graft, corruption, bribery, and other high crimes as defined under the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
Political Endorsement and Statements
The complaint received endorsement from two prominent lawmakers in the lower chamber. Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima formally supported the filing, bringing political weight to the allegations.
During a press conference, Representative Leila de Lima explained her endorsement, stating: "Why am I endorsing this impeachment complaint? First, because I believe in the causes of the complainants. Second, I believe that there are really grounds, bases, and impeachable offenses that can be proven — and will be proven — during the hearings of the Committee on Justice. It's about time that VP Sara is held accountable."
De Lima further emphasized that previous dismissals of impeachment complaints were based on technical and procedural grounds rather than substantive issues. "We already know, as mentioned earlier, that the dismissal of the impeachment complaint or the declaration that the impeachment process is unconstitutional is only due to technicalities or procedural grounds — we are not yet at the substantive stage. This new petition is just really a reiteration of the substantive grounds of the previous complaints," she added.
Historical Context of Previous Impeachment Attempts
This filing represents the latest in a series of attempts to impeach the Vice President. The timeline of previous impeachment efforts includes:
- The initial impeachment complaint filed on December 2, 2024, by the same group of complainants.
- Three additional impeachment complaints filed in December 2024 and early 2025 by various organizations, focusing on similar issues including misuse of confidential funds and obstruction of congressional investigations.
- A consolidated complaint endorsed by more than 200 lawmakers in the House on February 5, 2025, which was subsequently transmitted to the Senate.
However, the judicial system has previously intervened in these proceedings. In July 2025, the Supreme Court unanimously declared the impeachment proceedings unconstitutional, ruling that the consolidated articles violated the one-year bar rule under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the Constitution. Following this decision, the Senate voted to archive the articles of impeachment in August 2025.
Just last week, the Supreme Court upheld with finality its earlier decision declaring the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte unconstitutional, creating a complex legal backdrop for this new filing.
The fresh complaint now moves through the legislative process, with the House Committee on Justice expected to review the allegations and determine whether sufficient grounds exist to proceed with formal impeachment hearings.
