Vice President Sara Duterte

MANILA, Philippines – It isn’t quite a Happy New Year for Vice President Sara Duterte as a fourth impeachment case is likely to be filed against her at the House of Representatives next week according to House Secretary General Reginald Velasco. 

“There are also some members who are still requesting for an extension because they are thinking of filing another complaint… a fourth complaint. Wala pang sinabi kung ilan ‘yung mag-i-endorse noon. Basta sinabi lang to wait for the fourth complaint,” he said. 

“If they file it on Monday, I will have to make a decision whether I will then refer it to the Speaker or delay it further, because, again, I’ll refer this to the legal department for study, if there will be a fourth complaint,” he said. 

A few more members of the House also still plan to endorse one of the three previously filed impeachment complaints, according to Velasco. 

“Well, there are some House members kasi, who requested they’d be given another time because they would like to endorse one of the three complaints filed so far,” he said. 

The first complaint filed by Akbayan Party List Rep. Percival Cendaña was anchored on alleged culpable violations of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust and high crimes as grounds. 

The second complaint filed by representatives from the Makabayan bloc cited supposed betrayal of public trust as an all-encompassing ground. 

The third impeachment complaint filed by religious and sectoral groups meanwhile was based on alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, plunder, malversation, technical malversation and bribery. 

All of the three complaints all touch on Duterte’s alleged misuse of her offices’ confidential funds. 

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party List Representative France Castro earlier said she is planning to call for a meeting with the other complainants to push the impeachment complaints forward. 

Lawyer Amando Virgil Ligutan, who represents the complainants in the third impeachment complaint expressed openness to the meeting. 

As of writing, the three impeachment complaints are still with the Office of the House Secretary General and have yet been endorsed to the Office of House Speaker Martin Romualdez. 

Duterte is still being investigated by the National Bureau of Investigation for her supposed kill plot against the administration. 

She is also facing a criminal complaint filed against her by the Quezon City Police District over the controversial hospital transfer of her top aide. 

RELATED STORIES:

VP Sara’s 2025 New Year message talks facing challenges 

VP Sara says Digong to lawyer for her in impeachment cases 

VP Sara says Christmas is all about ‘forgiveness’ 

Sara Duterte, Martin Romualdez trust, approval ratings further dip – survey

3rd impeachment rap filed vs VP Sara Duterte 

VP Sara: ‘I will not explain, lawmakers have no authority to ask confidential funds’

VP Sara believes NBI ‘will not be fair’ in kill plot probe, ‘no plans of leaving Ph to hide’ 

2nd impeachment rap vs VP Sara Duterte filed over betrayal of public trust

Impeachment complaint filed vs VP Sara Duterte