TIMELINE: Sara Duterte impeachment

5 months ago 24

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Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives for threatening to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and for allegedly misusing public funds.

Duterte, once a strong ally of Marcos, ran alongside him in the 2022 election as part of the Uniteam alliance. She secured 32,208,417 votes, or 61.53% of the total votes cast — outperforming Marcos, who garnered 31,629,783 votes.

Initially appointed as Marcos’ education secretary, Duterte later resigned, officially marking the end of an alliance that had been described as a “marriage of convenience” from the start.

While the impeachment charge formally accuses Duterte, it does not automatically result in her removal from office. She will now face an impeachment trial in the Senate.

Here’s a timeline of significant events that led to her impeachment. This story will be updated as the case progresses.

July 3, 2023

The Commission on Audit (COA) releases the annual audit report covering the 2022 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP). Findings include Duterte’s office spending P125 million on confidential funds during the latter part of 2022, a far cry from Leni Robredo’s zero confidential fund spending.

This development opens a floodgate of criticism against Duterte, who also does not hold back in her response to critics.

It is discovered that Duterte sent a letter in August 2022 to the Department of Budget and Management asking for more funds.

September 25, 2023

The COA confirms that the OVP under Duterte spent its 2022 confidential funds amounting to P125 million in just 11 days.

This information, uncovered during plenary deliberations at the House of Representatives, corrects earlier reports that the OVP spent it in 19 days.

October 10, 2023

The House of Representatives announces that it is blocking the confidential funds requested in the 2024 budget of five government agencies, including two headed by Duterte: Department of Education (DepEd) and the OVP.

Duterte’s office requested P500 million in confidential funds while DepEd proposed P150 million, moves that earned massive scrutiny both from the government and the public.

November 16, 2023

ACT Teachers Representative and House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro says there were informal discussions about Duterte’s possible impeachment, although she later says these conversations are still “premature.”

March 12, 2024

Duterte attends a rally calling for the resignation of Marcos. It is organized by supporters of the fugitive preacher Apollo Quiboloy, a close ally of her father Rodrigo. She does not give a statement during the event.

April 19, 2024

First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos says Duterte “crossed the line” when she laughed when her father Rodrigo called the President “bangag” or high on drugs.

“Nasaktan ako, because my husband will do everything to protect you. You ran together, ‘di ba? Sama-sama tayong babangon muli. Pupunta ka sa rally, tatawagin iyong presidente mong bangag, you’re going to laugh. Tama ba ‘yun? Even Leni Robredo never did that,” she said.

(I was hurt, because my husband will do everything to protect you. You ran together, didn’t you? Our motto was we would rise together. Then you attend a rally where your president is being called high. Then you’re going to laugh. Is that even right? Even Leni Robredo never did that.)

The President, however, downplays the rift between his camp and Sara’s. He says that all the issues can easily be fixed.

June 19, 2024

Duterte resigns as education secretary. In her letter, she says that she will “remain of service to the country” through the OVP.

September 3, 2024

At the House plenary, Manila 2nd District Representative Rolando Valeriano decries Duterte’s apparent unwillingness to explain how she spent public funds and questions her allegiances.

September 18, 2024

The House’s good government committee convenes to discuss a lawmaker’s privilege speech on Duterte’s alleged misuse of public funds. The panel is surprised by the Vice President’s sudden appearance. She questions the legitimacy of the probe and accuses lawmakers of plotting her impeachment.

August 21, 2024

Some ranking members of the House deny that there is an effort to impeach Duterte. House Assistant Zia Alonto Adiong says that “it is counterproductive to what they are doing right now.”

August 27, 2024

During budget deliberations, Duterte faces the House of Representatives which turns out to be messy. She repeatedly refuses to answer questions regarding the use of her confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

November 23, 2024

In a Zoom briefing on Saturday at 12:32 a.m., Duterte threatens to kill the president and his family. She says she has spoken with an assassin and had given instructions to target the President, his wife Liza, and House Speaker Martin Romualdez if she is killed.

She makes this threat from the House detention room of her chief of staff Zuleika Lopez. Lopez is detained at the House facility after she was cited for contempt due to her evasive answers during the probe into her boss’ alleged misuse of funds at the OVP and the DepEd.

November 25, 2024

A former DepEd special disbursing officer admits that then-education secretary Duterte ordered him to give cash to school superintendents through their bank accounts.

November 29, 2024

Marcos opposes the impeachment efforts against the Vice President. He says that “none of this will help improve a single Filipino life.”

December 2, 2024

The first impeachment complaint by Duterte is filed by a coalition of various organizations.

The groups, which include Magdalo, Mamamayang Liberal, Tindig Pilipinas, families of drug war victims, and leaders of the Catholic Church want Duterte indicted for betrayal of public trust, bribery, graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and other high crimes. This is endorsed by Akbayan Representative Perci Cendaña.

December 4, 2024

Just two days after the first complaint is filed, Duterte faces another impeachment complaint filed by left-leaning organizations before the House of Representatives.

The second complaint has over 70 signatories, including former lawmakers Teddy Casiño, Liza Maza, Neri Colmenares, Sarah Elago, Antonio Tinio, Satur Ocampo, Eufemia Cullamat, Emmi de Jesus, and Ferdinand Gaite. It is endorsed by the three-member Makabayan bloc, namely ACT Teachers Representative France Castro, Gabriela Representative Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Representative Raoul Manuel.

December 9, 2024

The House of Representatives wraps up its inquiry into the alleged misuse of confidential funds of Duterte. This is the 8th day of the probe.

December 19, 2024

Members of the clergy file a third impeachment complaint against Duterte. The complaint is endorsed by House Assistant Minority Leader Gabriel Bordado of Camarines Sur’s 3rd District and Deputy Minority Leader Lex Colada of party-list group AAMBIS-OWA.

December 25, 2024

Duterte says that her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, will join her legal team that will face the string of impeachment complaints pending in the House of Representatives.

February 5, 2025

The House of Representatives impeaches Duterte, with 215 lawmakers — more than two-thirds of the 306-member body — supporting the complaint.

February 6, 2025

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirms that 25 more lawmakers have backed the complaint bringing the total signatories to 240.

He explains that these additional lawmakers failed to attend the initial oath-taking and verification due to commitments abroad or in their respective districts.

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– with reports from Dwight de Leon and Jodesz Gavilan/Rappler.com

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