VICE President Sara Duterte on Monday claimed that renewed talk of an impeachment complaint against her is being wielded by some lawmakers as leverage as Congress moves closer to approving the 2026 national budget.
In a statement, Duterte said she was informed that as early as February 2024, lawmakers were allegedly soliciting signatures for her impeachment in exchange for budget allocations.
Quoting remarks attributed to certain legislators, Duterte argued that the move exposed the real motive behind the impeachment drive, which she said was based not on principle but on political bargaining.
“Their statements have unmasked the truth that the impeachment complaint against me was never really driven by principle but by price,” she said.
She also questioned the timing of recent pronouncements from members of the House of Representatives about filing a new impeachment case, saying it reflected a pattern she has seen before.
According to Duterte, the impeachment process is once again being raised just as deliberations on the 2026 national budget approach, turning what should be a constitutional mechanism into a political bargaining tool.
“To those who continue to exploit the impeachment process, stop hiding behind the language of ‘good governance,’” she added.
While stating that she is prepared to respond to any allegations against her, Duterte said she could not stay silent if impeachment is being used as a “budget-driven racket.”
Duterte’s remarks came after Bayan chairperson Teddy Casiño revealed that progressive and civil society groups are preparing to file a new impeachment complaint against the vice president once the constitutional one-year ban lapses in February.
Casiño said the planned complaint would still cite alleged “betrayal of public trust,” particularly over claims of misuse of confidential funds.
In July, the Supreme Court halted Duterte’s impeachment trial in the Senate, ruling that it violated the constitutional ban on multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official within a single year.
The High Court clarified that a new impeachment complaint may be filed, but only after February 6, 2026.