MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte declined to comment on the impeachment complaint filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., but said she expects a new impeachment case against her once the constitutional one-year ban lifts on February 6.

“Antayin natin ang mga susunod na mga araw kung meron akong reaction,” Duterte said in an interview when asked about the complaint.

Duterte described the anticipated complaint against her as a fundraising scheme by House members.

“As expected, because they are the ones who always say they will file an impeachment complaint,” she said. “It will be just like in the past when members of the House of Representatives used fundraising to sign the impeachment. It’s all about the money there.”

The complaint against Marcos was filed Monday by lawyer Andre de Jesus and endorsed by Rep. Jett Nisay (Pusong Pinoy Partylist). It accuses Marcos of graft, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust, citing alleged kickbacks from flood control projects and his role in allowing former President Rodrigo Duterte’s arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court.

Nisay himself faces recommended charges in the flood control scandal and is among eight lawmakers and contractors the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure want prosecuted for plunder and graft over anomalous projects.

Earlier impeachment complaints against Duterte were struck down by the Supreme Court in July last year for violating the one-year bar and her right to due process. Progressive coalition Bagong Alyansang Makabayan and other groups have said they plan to refile complaints once the ban lifts, citing alleged corruption, misuse of confidential funds, and death threats against the president.

Congressional hearings found irregularities in Duterte’s handling of P612.5 million in confidential funds at the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education from 2022 to 2023. The Commission on Audit disallowed P73 million of the OVP’s P125-million confidential fund for 2022, which was spent in just 11 days. Investigators also discovered fabricated names in acknowledgment receipts and missing birth records for supposed fund recipients.

Duterte refused to explain the irregular receipts during House hearings, saying she would only answer to the Commission on Audit. She claimed the names were aliases used in intelligence operations and that explaining them would compromise security work.

Duterte is currently in The Hague visiting her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is under International Criminal Court custody for crimes against humanity. She said they discussed family matters but not any message he wanted to share with Filipinos.