MANILA: Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte was hit with a second impeachment complaint on Wednesday (Dec 4), as she faces probes over an alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos and the use of government funds.
The daughter of former president Rodrigo Duterte has been engulfed in political turmoil after her alliance with Marcos spectacularly collapsed ahead of next year’s mid-term elections.
Duterte quit her cabinet post of education secretary in June after relations between the two powerful families reached breaking point and have since shattered.
Wednesday’s complaint filed by activists, teachers, former congressional members and others accused Duterte of betraying public trust for the alleged misuse of millions of dollars in public funds while she was education minister, left-wing coalition Makabayan said.
“The Vice President’s brazen misuse of more than half a billion Philippine pesos (US$8.5 million) in confidential funds, particularly the suspicious liquidation of 125 million Philippine pesos in just 11 days at the end of 2022, represents a grave betrayal of public trust,” former congressman Teddy Casino, and one of the complainants, said in a statement.
“The Filipino people, especially our taxpayers who bear the burden of funding government operations, deserve accountability from their second highest official.”
A different coalition of activists lodged an impeachment complaint against Duterte on Monday, accusing her of corruption and misconduct.
Duterte has denied misusing public funds.
