Civil society groups filed a plunder and graft complaint on Friday against Vice President Sara Duterte with the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
The complaint covers Duterte’s use of confidential funds as vice president and earlier as secretary of the Department of Education.
Complainants include priests Flavie Villanueva and Roberto Reyes, former finance undersecretary Cielo Magno, former peace adviser Teresita Deles, and other civil society representatives.
Aside from plunder, the complaint alleges violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, malversation, bribery and corruption of public officials, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the 1987 Constitution.
Several officials from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education were also named.
Congressional investigations in 2024 found that contingent funds from the 2022 national budget were transferred to the Office of the Vice President to cover ₱125 million in confidential funds, which Duterte’s office reportedly spent in 11 days.
Lawmakers also examined confidential funds disbursed during her tenure at the Department of Education.
In June, the House of Representatives adopted a report by its good government committee recommending the filing of criminal, civil, and administrative cases against Duterte, citing a total of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds disbursed under her leadership of both the OVP and DepEd.
A Commission on Audit report further showed that only 3 percent of targeted classrooms for 2023 were delivered.
“The Marcos–Duterte political machinery has enabled corruption and elite rule at the cost of education, health, and social welfare. Dynastic power has protected impunity for too long. Today’s filing is another crack in that wall,” Youth Resist spokesperson Venus Crisostomo said.
The alleged misuse of confidential funds also formed part of the grounds cited in the impeachment complaint against Duterte.
The House’s Articles of Impeachment accused her of betraying public trust and committing graft and corruption through the misuse and malversation of public funds.
