THE first article of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte accuses her of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust over the alleged “systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation” of confidential funds amounting to a total of ₱612.5 million.
Of this sum, ₱500 million was allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP), while ₱112.5 million was released when she concurrently served as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd) from the start of her term in June 2022. Included in Committee Report No. 261 on House Resolution No. 989, the article outlines how funds were requested, released, and utilized in ways that raise serious legal and procedural concerns.
According to the document, although conducting surveillance operations was not part of the mandate of her office, Duterte sought substantial confidential fund allocations shortly after assuming office. In late 2022, the OVP received ₱125 million for the fourth quarter — an amount reportedly fully disbursed and liquidated within just 11 days, from December 21 to 31, a period that included several non-working holidays.
The report notes that such rapid utilization makes genuine implementation and verification highly improbable, suggesting instead that the transactions were prearranged or simulated. It also flags around ₱16 million spent on “safe house rentals” during the same period, with daily rates reaching as high as ₱250,000 — comparable to luxury resorts and five-star hotels — raising questions on necessity, reasonableness, and compliance with standards.
The same pattern allegedly continued in 2023, with the release of ₱375 million for the OVP and ₱112.5 million for DepEd, both marked by insufficient documentation, unclear purposes, and outcomes that could not be verified. The article claims that Duterte bypassed existing safeguards under a joint circular of government oversight agencies by ordering Special Disbursing Officers to turn over funds to unauthorized intermediaries, including military personnel and private individuals who had no legal authority to receive or manage such resources. This practice, it states, allowed large sums of public money to be moved outside official accountability channels, effectively diverting them from legitimate confidential operations.
Further evidence cited includes findings from the Commission on Audit (COA), which has disallowed ₱73.287 million of the OVP’s 2022 expenses — a ruling made final in April 2026 — and the entire ₱375 million allocation for 2023. The ₱112.5 million released to DepEd also drew critical observations due to missing records and irregularities.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), meanwhile, reported indications of fabrication in supporting documents: handwriting analysis of 36 receipts showed similar characteristics suggesting preparation by only a few people, while Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) records revealed that hundreds of individuals named in the documents could not be verified. Among those listed but untraced were names such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Milky Secuya,” and “Kokoy Villamin.” Testimonies and sworn statements, including that of Ramil Madriaga who claimed he was personally directed by Duterte to deliver funds to unauthorized recipients, were also presented to support the allegations.
