MANILA – Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday blasted an impending impeachment complaint against her as a cynical “bargaining chip” to strong-arm the 2026 national budget, accusing House members of weaponizing the constitutional process for pork-barrel gains rather than genuine accountability. In a pointed statement laced with frustration and defiance, Duterte decried the timing – just as bicameral talks heat up – as proof of a recycled racket exposed last year, vowing to fight any allegations with “facts and truth” while calling out the lack of probes into lawmakers who allegedly traded signatures for funding.
The fresh salvo stems from Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) chairperson Teddy Casiño’s announcement on Saturday that the group plans to file the complaint once the one-year filing ban from the previous attempt expires in early 2026. Casiño, speaking on DZMM, expressed confidence in securing the required one-third congressional support, citing over 200 signatories on the 2024 complaint – more than the 253 needed from the House’s 316 members. The focus remains on the alleged misuse of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) during Duterte’s tenure as Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief and Department of Education (DepEd) secretary, echoing the four complaints lodged in December 2024 that snowballed into her February 2025 House impeachment.
That earlier effort, driven by the House Good Government and Public Accountability Panel’s CIF probe, secured endorsements from over 200 congressmen but crumbled in August 2025 when the Senate voted 19-4 (with one abstention) to archive the articles, following a Supreme Court ruling deeming it unconstitutional. Duterte, undeterred by the rerun, slammed the tactic as a blatant bid to “dangle” impeachment for budget leverage. “Not long ago, [Sen. Francis] ‘Chiz’ Escudero, Rep. Toby Tiangco, and several House members revealed that, back in February 2024, signatures for my impeachment were being courted in exchange for budget allocations,” she fumed. “Their statements have unmasked the truth that the impeachment complaint against me was never really driven by principle but by price.”
She decried the absence of investigations into those “budget-driven” dealings, calling it “squandered on political warfare” instead of public service. “Now, this constitutional mechanism is being dangled once again as a bargaining chip right before the 2026 National Budget is passed,” Duterte continued. “To those who continue to exploit the impeachment process, stop hiding behind the language of ‘good governance.’” The VP, who topped the 2025 senatorial race but now juggles her OVP role with DepEd oversight, affirmed her readiness: “I have always stood ready to answer any allegation grounded in fact and truth. But I cannot remain silent while the impeachment process is being twisted into a budget-driven racket.”
Political Context: A Shadow Over the 2026 Budget
The threat lands amid tense bicameral negotiations for the P6.793-trillion 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), where pork-barrel insertions and unprogrammed funds have become flashpoints. Duterte’s critique ties directly to last year’s revelations: Escudero and Tiangco exposed how impeachment signatures were allegedly solicited in exchange for allocations, a quid pro quo that fueled her House ouster but fizzled in the Senate. With the flood control scandal’s P20-billion ghost projects still haunting headlines – implicating lawmakers in kickbacks and diversions – her words sting as a broader indictment of fiscal favoritism.
Casiño, undaunted, doubled down: “The misuse of confidential funds is a serious betrayal of public trust, and with over 200 signatories last time, we expect even stronger support now.” BAYAN’s filing, timed post-ban expiration, could reignite the fire, especially as the Senate’s archiving relied on procedural technicalities rather than merits. Duterte’s camp, however, views it as harassment, with allies like Sen. Imee Marcos decrying it as “recycled rubbish” aimed at derailing her 2028 presidential ambitions.
Implications: A Budget Battleground or Political Theater?
This impeachment redux isn’t just personal – it’s a powder keg for the 2026 GAA, where Duterte’s OVP and DepEd budgets face razor scrutiny. Critics like ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio hail BAYAN’s persistence as “justice delayed but not denied,” linking it to the Trillion Peso March’s roar against pork plunder. But Duterte’s framing as a “bargaining chip” could rally her base, painting opponents as opportunistic amid the flood fiasco’s fallout – nine suspects in custody, Zaldy Co at large in Portugal.
For a nation eyeing midterms in 2026, the stakes are seismic: Will this be a genuine graft grapple or another episode of political theater, where impeachment becomes impeachment’s own punchline? As bicam barrels toward December 16 ratification, Duterte’s defiance feels like a gauntlet thrown – in the Philippines’ endless election epic, the real winner might just be the one who writes the script.