By Juliane Judilla
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) Panay joined a nationwide call for accountability, expressing full support for an impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte. The protest action took place in front of West Visayas State University on December 4.
Over 70 representatives from BAYAN, progressive organizations, concerned citizens, and the MAKABAYAN Bloc in Congress participated in the impeachment filing before the House of Representatives in Quezon City. The complaint accuses Duterte of gross misuse of confidential funds and other actions deemed detrimental to public trust.
The complaint alleges Duterte misappropriated PHP 612.5 million in confidential funds between December 2022 and September 2023. It highlights an unusually high daily expenditure of PHP 11.3 million in December 2022 alone, raising questions about the legitimacy of these disbursements.
Additionally, the complaint identifies PHP 53 million purportedly allocated for “safe houses” without proper documentation, fueling suspicions of financial irregularities. It also details accusations of fake receipts and reports submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA), including over 4,800 dubious acknowledgment receipts listing fictitious names.
The complaint further accuses Duterte of disregarding transparency and accountability. It alleges she failed to justify her office’s spending, avoided Congress’s oversight during budget hearings, and instructed her staff to boycott these proceedings.
“These actions are a gross betrayal of public trust, an abuse of taxpayers’ money, and a stark violation of the values we hold dear as a nation,” said Elmer Forro, Secretary-General of BAYAN Panay.
“The Filipino people deserve leaders who are accountable, transparent, and committed to serving the public interest, not those who exploit their position for personal or political gain,” Forro added.
BAYAN Panay called on Congress to carefully review the impeachment complaint and take appropriate measures to hold the Vice President accountable for the alleged violations.
