Tindig Pilipinas, a coalition of pro-democracy groups and civil society organizations, has urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla to conduct a thorough investigation into Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds in her office and the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure.
Tindig Pilipinas spokesperson Kiko Aquino Dee, along with members of the coalition, submitted a letter to the Office of the Ombudsman on Monday.
‘The Vice President must also fully explain how the confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education were used – just as we demand accountability from those involved in the ghost flood control projects that plundered the nation’s coffers,’ the group said in a statement distributed to the media.
With these, the group claimed that Duterte committed betrayal of public trust, malversation, as well as graft and corruption.
The coalition also cited Duterte’s supposed ‘admission’ of plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Tindig Pilipinas claimed that Duterte committed culpable violations of the Constitution and/or committed high crimes in contracting an assassin and plotting to assassinate the President and his relatives.
‘Such reckless words from the country’s second-highest official echo the violence and impunity that have stained our nation’s past,’ the group said.
‘The threat she made is not far removed from the bloody legacy of her father’s so-called war on drugs, which claimed thousands of lives from the poorest sectors of our society,’ it added.
On July 25, the Supreme Court (SC) unanimously ruled that the impeachment complaint against Duterte is unconstitutional for ‘lack of merit,’ effectively halting the Senate’s scheduled trial.
SC spokesperson Camille Ting said the high court ruled that the impeachment complaint against the Vice President ‘is barred by the one-year rule and that due process or fairness applies during all stages of the impeachment.’
‘Therefore, the Senate could not acquire jurisdiction over the impeachment proceedings,’ Ting, at that time, said.
Over a week later, the House of Representatives filed a motion for reconsideration (MR), which seeks to overturn the SC decision, which is still pending.
On the other hand, Duterte has asked the SC to reject the MR. In a 27-page comment, the vice president argued that the SC’s ruling on the impeachment complaint required no factual corrections, contrary to the claims made in the MR.
On February 5 this year, Duterte was impeached after 215 members of the lower chamber from the 19th Congress filed and signed a fourth complaint.
The complaint was based on allegations of misuse of confidential funds in her offices, threats against ranking officials, and other possible violations of the Constitution.
The articles of impeachment were immediately transmitted to the Senate on the same day, in accordance with the 1987 Constitution, which mandates that a trial must begin promptly if at least one-third of all House members-or 102 out of 306-endorse the complaint.