Key Elements of the Latest Complaint
- Filed by Lawyer Nathaniel Cabrea on February 18, endorsed by House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V and Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr.
- Grounds cited: culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes.
- Allegations: intent to employ lethal violence against constitutional officers, misuse of security forces, diversion of public funds.
- Defense stance: her lawyers argue that repeated filings don’t equate to truth, stressing that allegations remain unproven.
Sara Duterte is facing a fourth impeachment complaint, filed just hours after she publicly declared her intention to run for president in the 2028 national elections.
Lawyer Nathaniel Cabrea lodged the complaint before the Office of the House Secretary General on February 18. The filing was endorsed by House Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V and Manila 6th District Representative Bienvenido Abante Jr..
The complaint cites culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, graft and corruption, and other high crimes as grounds for impeachment.
According to the filing, the Vice President’s alleged actions — including what it described as an admitted intent to employ lethal violence against constitutional officers, misuse of security forces, and diversion of public funds — pose a “real and present risk” to government stability and the safety of public officials. The complaint urged the House of Representatives to act to prevent further institutional harm.
In response, Duterte’s defense team maintained that the repeated filing of complaints does not automatically validate the accusations. In a statement quoted by a national daily, her lawyers said that “the successive filing of complaints does not, by mere repetition, transform allegations into truth.”
The latest complaint follows three other impeachment cases filed earlier in February. These were endorsed by the Makabayan bloc, ML Party-list Representative Leila de Lima, and Akbayan Representative Perci Cendaña.
The new filing also comes amid prior rulings by the Supreme Court of the Philippines regarding earlier impeachment efforts against the Vice President. In a July 2025 decision, later affirmed on January 29, the High Court declared a previous impeachment complaint unconstitutional after it was transmitted to the Senate without a plenary vote in the House.
The Court also pointed to the Constitution’s one-year bar rule, which prohibits the initiation of more than one impeachment proceeding against the same official within a one-year period. However, the Supreme Court clarified at the time that its ruling did not absolve Duterte of the allegations raised against her.
Vice President Duterte has been accused of misusing public funds, amassing unexplained wealth, and issuing threats against Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the First Lady, and the Speaker of the House — allegations she has repeatedly denied.
The House of Representatives has yet to announce the next steps regarding the latest impeachment complaint. #END
News Source: PHILSTARLife
Photo credit: INQUIRER