Notwithstanding the danger that it will not prosper due to time constraints, an impeachment complaint was filed Monday (December 2) against Vice President Sara Duterte with the complainants accusing her of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, bribery, graft and corruption and other high crimes.

Various sectoral organizations, including families of victims of alleged extra judicial killings and religious leaders, demanded Duterte’s removal from office.

Neophyte Rep. Percival Cendaña of Akbayan Partylist endorsed the impeachment case, saying that this is the “first -ever and historic impeachment complaint” filed against the vice president.

Accompanying the complainants who trooped to the Office of the Secretary General of the House of Representatives around 3 pm Monday, were former senator Leila de Lima, former Quezon City Rep. Jose Christopher Belmonte, former presidential peace adviser Ging Deles, the ‘running priest” Robert Reyes and Fr. Flavie Villanueva and several members of the Magdalo group.

Verified complainants are the following: former Rep. Gary Alejano; Francis Joseph Dee, Alicia Murphy; Eugene Louie Gonzales, Sylvia Estrada Claudio, Leah Navarro, Rowena Amon, Randy de los Santos, Filomena Cinco, Teodoro Lopez, Sister Susan Santos Esmile, SFIC; Sister Mary Grace de Guzaman and Ma. Yvonne Christina C. Jereza.

The case was filed despite warnings that Congress may no longer have the time to act on it due to time constraints triggered by the forthcoming 2025 election campaign season.

There are only 21 session days remaining for the House of Representatives to act on the complaint and decide on whether or not Duterte will be impeached.

Even if the case is swiftly resolved and an articles of impeachment is approved by at least 1/3 of the members of the Lower Chamber, the complaints will still have to contend with the fact that the Senate will still have to convene into an impeachment court, it was gathered.

Further fueling speculations that the impeachment complaint may not prosper is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.s reported position against the move.

Marcos has admitted communicating to congressional allies to drop any plan to impeach Duterte.

“This is not important. This does not make any difference to even one single Filipino life. So, why waste time on this?” he said.
Organizations that signed the complaint were the Tindig Pilipinas, Magdalo and Mamamayang Liberal Partylists; Program Paghilom and other civil society organizations.

Duterte has been under fire from various fronts with the Lower House Quad Comm being in the frontline of efforts to look into possible anomalies in the disbursement of millions of pesos allocated to her office as confidential and intelligence funds.

Her statements allegedly threatening the assassination of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and their cousin, Speaker Ferdinand Romualdez, prompted various government agencies to launch parallel investigations into said pronouncements.

The Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice as conducting parallel investigations into Duterte’s claim that she is planning to have the three liquidated should she be killed.

The PNP filed a string of criminal cases against the vice president in connection with her alleged interference in the enforcement of legitimate orders related to order to take into custody Duterte’s chief of staff Zuleika Lopez.