THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified on Friday that Vice President Sara Duterte’s overwhelming mandate, secured by 32 million votes—the highest ever for an elected official in the Philippines—does not exempt her from the impeachment process.
Duterte has dismissed calls for her resignation as she faces scrutiny over the alleged misuse of hundreds of millions of pesos in confidential funds allocated to her office in 2022 and 2023.
Two impeachment complaints have already been filed against Duterte in the House of Representatives, with a third expected next week
The complaints accuse her of betraying public trust by misusing ₱612.5 million in confidential funds. Duterte has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Under the Constitution, impeachment is the only legal mechanism for removing high-ranking officials, including the President, Vice President, Supreme Court justices, Ombudsman, and members of constitutional commissions such as the Comelec, Civil Service Commission, and Commission on Audit.
“Hindi pwedeng gamitin ng isang impeachable public official ang kanyang mandato sa pamamagitan ng boto para lang hindi siya mapatalsik o mapaalis. Kasi kinakailangan, kahit Presidente ng Republika ay pwedeng ma-subject sa tinatawag natin na impeachment,” Comelec Chairman George Garcia stated.
(An impeachable official cannot rely solely on their electoral mandate to evade removal from office. Even the President of the Republic can be subject to impeachment)
Garcia emphasized that impeachment does not guarantee removal from office, as it requires a trial and conviction in the Senate. If found guilty, the official may be removed and could subsequently face other criminal charges.