'Budget-driven' impeachment not surprising: VP Sara Duterte

VICE President Sara Duterte said statements from some House members about a new impeachment complaint against her are “not surprising.”

In a December 8, 2025, statement, Duterte said the timing of the effort reflects a familiar pattern.

“This constitutional mechanism is being dangled once again as a bargaining chip right before the 2026 National Budget is passed,” she said. 

Duterte urged those exploiting the impeachment process to stop hiding behind the language of “good governance.” She said she is always ready to respond to allegations, but she cannot stay silent while the process is “twisted into a budget-driven racket.”

The Vice President recalled that in February 2024, Senator Chiz Escudero, Rep. Toby Tiangco, and several House members revealed that signatures for her impeachment were being solicited in exchange for budget allocations. Duterte said those statements exposed the political nature of the complaint.

Despite these revelations, she noted, no inquiry or investigation has held accountable those who allegedly used billions of pesos for political maneuvering instead of public service.

New impeachment complaint 

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) is preparing to refile an impeachment complaint against Duterte once the constitutionally mandated one-year ban expires on February 5, 2026.

Bayan Chairperson Teddy Casiño told 24 Oras on December 2 that they expect to file anew, and that additional groups may join.

“Isang pinaghahandaan yung pagtatapos ng one-year ban sa February. Most likely magfa-file po tayo ng impeachment ulit. Kasi bitin ’yung nangyari, hindi natuloy sa trial (We are preparing for the end of the one-year ban in February. Most likely, we will file an impeachment complaint again because what happened before was incomplete and did not proceed to trial),” he said in an interview with 24 Oras on December 2, 2025. 

He said they are reviewing the Supreme Court ruling that struck down earlier impeachment proceedings against Duterte as unconstitutional, and that the decision will guide their next steps.

Impeachment complaint history

Multiple impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte starting in December 2024, citing corruption, misuse of confidential funds, betrayal of public trust, and other alleged high crimes.

One complaint accused the Vice President of misusing confidential funds during her tenure as education secretary. It also raised allegations of her involvement in extrajudicial killings and cited her “kill” remark directed at President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

By February 2025, a fourth complaint gained the backing of 215 House members, and the articles of impeachment were submitted to the Senate.

The Supreme Court struck down the articles of impeachment on July 25, 2025, ruling the complaint violated the constitution’s one-year bar under Article XI, Section 3(5) of the 1987 Constitution.

Following the ruling, the Senate voted in August 2025, 19–4 with one abstention, to archive the impeachment articles. RGP