MANY believe Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment was triggered by allegations of corruption over her use of ₱125 million in confidential funds within just 11 days.
The Senate Impeachment Court recently voted to remand the case back to the House of Representatives, citing constitutional concerns.
Retired Supreme Court Justice Adolfo Azcuna affirmed that the move was “unique but allowable.”
In my view, Sara has been cleared of corruption, and the impeachment is politically motivated.
Sara has explained that the funds were used for security and safety programs addressing serious threats like sexual grooming and terrorism recruitment among students.
The use of confidential funds is legal, with guidelines set by the Commission on Audit (COA) to ensure accountability. No receipts are required for security reasons, and Ombudsman Samuel Martires has publicly stated that there is no evidence of corruption on Sara's part.
Confidential funds are not unique to Sara. The Office of the President (OP) allocates the largest share, with ₱4.5 billion for 2025.
As Davao City mayor, Sara effectively managed confidential funds, like the Peace 911 initiative, which cleared 13 barangays of NPA presence. Under her leadership, Davao became the 8th richest city and was declared debt-free in 2022.
She was elected VP with a record-breaking 32 million votes and now enjoys the highest trust rating for a public official (61%, Pulse Asia).
The OVP and the DepEd under Sara have been audited by COA, which awarded her office an "unqualified opinion" — the highest audit rating.
Atty. Gloria Camora of COA testified under oath that her office had submitted documentary evidence for the use of confidential funds across 132 locations.
The ₱73 million disallowance was simply a procedural request for additional documentation, not a finding of plunder.
In fact, PBBM himself authorized the transfer of the ₱125 million to Sara late in December 2022.
The law says public funds had to be used by year-end, leaving Sara only 11 days to disburse them.
Sara’s primary intention has been to protect millions of learners and DepEd employees from NPA recruitment, with terrorists responsible for tens of thousands of deaths. Confidential funds are essential for combating these threats — for surveillance, informants, and purchasing information.
The 2025 national budget is one of the most corrupt in years, with billions unaccounted for in ghost infra projects, ayuda for vote-buying schemes, insertions, and blank checks (BiCam enrolled bill). Some congressmen have admitted to receiving bribes in exchange for supporting the impeachment.
Philippine Star's Jarius Bondoc criticized on February 7, the pork barrel system fuels “impeachment payolas” and bribery. et, Many self-righteous hypocrites remain silent on these anomalies (777 ayuda scheme?). They are not truly anti-corruption –- they are just anti-Duterte.
Regarding the impeachment articles citing “assassination” threats, Sara never used such terms in the Zoom call. “If I am killed, kill X,” is conditional and does not constitute a crime. Furthermore, “conspiracy to commit murder” is a non-existent crime.
The Filipino people, or taumbayan –- middle-class families, OFWs, police, and soldiers –- support VP Sara Duterte. In contrast, elitists, activists, and political groups want her convicted in the impeachment trial.
These elites have no right to invoke the taumbayan's name in vain.
In my view, the impeachment trial is more about politicians’ electability than Sara's accountability. She poses a threat to their 2028 presidential ambitions. If they truly cared about accountability, they would pursue cases in court. The penalty for impeachment conviction is only removal from office and disqualification from future gov't positions.
- Daniel Long
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Daniel Long is a Filipino writer for the Asian Century Journal, a regular media delegate to China, and a former speechwriter for Senator Imee Marcos.