The Makabayan bloc has criticized Vice President Sara Duterte—currently facing impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives—for portraying herself as a victim.
Duterte recently claimed that the congressional inquiry into her alleged misuse of confidential funds was nothing more than a “conspiracy” and a “political weapon” against her.
“These are rehashed lines—gasgas na script—meant to evade accountability by playing the victim,” the bloc said in a statement on Saturday, March 7.
Composed of ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co, the bloc emphasized that confidential funds involve public money.
“When millions are requested, rushed, and shrouded in secrecy, the Filipino people have every right to demand answers,” they stressed.
The group further argued that dismissing congressional oversight as a “fishing expedition” does not erase the questions—it only underscores the need for deeper scrutiny.
“VP Duterte insists impeachment came first before evidence, but the record shows otherwise: the red flags raised questions about the size of the funds, the speed of releases, their purpose, and the safeguards against misuse—issues that demand clear answers precisely because confidential spending is difficult to independently verify,” Makabayan said.
Duterte’s purported misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds is among the more prominent allegations in her impeachment complaints.
Tinio and his colleagues said Duterte’s repeated invocation of “unmodified opinions” from the Commission on Audit (COA) was also misleading. “An unmodified opinion is not a blanket certification that no wrongdoing occurred, especially when the spending category limits disclosure,” they noted.
The Makabayan solons said that the Vice President has resorted to attacks against them, thinking this would exonerate her from the impeachment allegations.
“Ang pulitikong nagigipit, sa red-tagging kumakapit. It’s already 2026 pero ganyan pa rin siya,” they said.
They said it would simply better serve the Vice President to face the process in the lower chamber. “The House has constitutional duties of oversight and accountability, and no official is exempt.”
“Humaharap ang mga opisyal na walang itinatago. Umatend siya sa Committee on Justice at sagutin niya ang mga tanong ng taumbayan,” the bloc said.
The justice panel, chaired by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro, recently declared two impeachment complaints filed against Duterte as sufficient in both form and substance.
The panel gave Duterte 10 calendar days to answer the allegations stated in impeachment raps. (Ellson Quismorio)
