From Inquirer

By Noriko Yamamoto

On Tuesday, February 10, the Office of the House Secretary General Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil announced that the third impeachment complaint against Vice President (VP) Sara Duterte has been sent to the Office of the House Speaker, Faustino “Bojie” Dy III. 

“My office is tasked only with the receipt, verification, and transmission of impeachment complaints and their endorsements,” she explained, stressing that her role “was strictly ministerial.”

Under House rules, Dy has ten session days from receiving the complaint to include the impeachment complaint in the plenary’s Order of Business.

Meanwhile, Representative Leila de Lima, who endorsed the complaint, expressed confidence that it would reach a House vote, describing it as an improved version of earlier impeachment articles.

On the other hand, Duterte’s legal counsel, Atty. Michael Poa, stated that their defense team had anticipated additional complaints.

“For now, we will continue to closely monitor developments and address these complaints through the appropriate constitutional processes,” he said.

The complaint was filed by religious groups and lawyers, accusing Duterte of misusing confidential funds both as VP and during the time she served as the Department of Education (DepEd) secretary.

It also cites an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. made during a late-night press briefing, which Duterte later claimed was misinterpreted.

However, Duterte’s brother, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte, criticized the timing of the complaints, calling them a diversion from the recent controversy related to flood control projects.

From February 5 to August 6, 2025, impeachment complaints against Duterte had already been filed in the House, but the Supreme Court (SC) later nullified the case due to procedural issues.

Under the Philippine Constitution, an impeachment trial is conducted by the Senate, and a guilty verdict would strip Duterte of public office, including a possible 2028 presidential bid.