VP on plunder raps: Another fishing expedition

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday described the fresh set of criminal complaints filed against her as “another fishing expedition,” as she tried to draw flak away from her and back onto the flood control mess.

In a statement, Duterte said those behind the new charges “scramble to weaponize any accusation they can manufacture just to create a semblance of procedural legitimacy for an investigation.”

Civic society leaders and church groups filed plunder, bribery, malversation and graft complaints against Duterte and 15 other officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) before the Office of the Ombudsman after P612 million worth of confidential funds were allegedly diverted, misused and concealed across both offices.

“Last year, the House committee on good government and public accountability launched a full-blown fishing expedition, searching for anything that could be twisted into grounds for impeachment. Then came the revelation that signatures for my impeachment were being courted in exchange for budget allocations,” Duterte claimed.

“This is not about seeking the truth – this is about covering up the plunder of public coffers, whereby no one is held accountable until now,” she added.

“I encourage our countrymen to be critical and should not be easily swayed by the moves to discredit me,” Duterte appealed.

The new set of complainants against Duterte include Magsaysay Awardee Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, running priest Fr. Roberto Reyes, former presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Quintos-Deles, former Department of Finance undersecretary and economist Maria Cielo Magno, youth leaders Matthew Christian Silverio and John Lloyd Crisostomo and anti-corruption advocate Christopher Cabahug.

Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds was one of the grounds for the impeachment complaint filed by the House of Representatives against her.
However, it was unanimously declared as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court last July for violating the one-year bar rule. A motion for reconsideration is pending.

Another impeachment?

For deputy minority leader and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, the fresh set of complaints against Duterte may open the doors for another impeachment case next year.

“The findings of the ombudsman can be used as basis of a new impeachment complaint,” she said during a news forum in Quezon City yesterday. — Emmanuel Tupas