Davao Cong. Paolo Duterte Speaks on Alleged Impeachment Moves vs. Sister VP Sara in House
PAOLO DUTERTE – The Davao Congressman claims “outright coercion” has allegedly start in the House of Representatives over Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment.
The House Justice panel found a probable cause to impeach Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. The findings of the committee came after four (4) impeachment hearings were held without the physical presence of the Vice President.
According to Duterte’s camp, the Vice President is not required to physically appear at the impeachment hearing. They also question the constitutionality of the impeachment proceedings conducted by the House Committee on Justice.
The Vice President’s camp believes that the proper forum to discuss and answer to the impeachment complaints is at the Senate impeachment trial. They previously appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the lower chamber from the impeachment proceedings.
Here are some of the grounds raised against Duterte in one of the impeachment complaints that were found sufficient in form, substance, and grounds by the House Justice panel:
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount over PHP 500 million confidential funds (CF) allocated to the Office of the Vice President from 2022 to 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in amassing and converting the amount of not less than PHP 112.5 million of confidential funds allocated to the Department of Education (DepEd) for the year 2023
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust by corrupting and bribing officials of the DepEd
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes in contracting to murder or assassinate the president, the first lady, and the former speaker of the House
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in amassing unexplained wealth and failing to disclose all her properties and interests in properties in her SALN
- Alleged culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust in committing acts of political destabilization and the high crimes of sedition and insurrection
The camp of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte stressed that they are not only after winning but as well as showing that the Vice President is not corrupt. Atty. Michael Poa has repeatedly stressed that they will answer to the allegations in the proper forum.
The House Justice Committee had a unanimous decision in finding probable cause to impeach the Vice President. The following findings were cited:
- Detainee Ramil Madriaga’s account of disbursing P125 million worth of confidential funds of the Vice President within 24 hours with cash deliveries in Laguna, Quezon City, and the Office of the Ombudsman
- Madriaga signing a bank waiver to prove that he has nothing to hide
- Madriaga alleging that the Vice President’s election campaign may have been financed by Pharmally which has been linked to anomalous government procurement
- the Commission on Audit (COA) revealing that the notice of disallowance on the P73 million confidential fund in 2022 was upheld by the COA commission proper
- The NBI representatives testifying on signatures in the acknowledgment receipts of recipients of confidential funds
- COA’s Gloria Camora, a lawyer of COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, confirming that COA also issued three notices of disallowance on three releases of confidential funds for the OVP in 2023 worth P125 million each or P375 million in total
- the testimonies of various resource persons, regarding the “envelopes” and the questionable receipts, and other statements
- the Philippine Statistics Authority testifying that recipients of confidential funds, such as Mary Grace Piattos, Milky Secuya, and Kokoy Villamin do not have records in the country’s civil registry
- the Vice President not declaring any cash on hand or in bank under her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth from 2019 to 2024
- the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report flagging P6.7 billion worth of bank transactions of the Vice President and her husband, Manases Carpio, as covered and suspicious transactions from 2006 to 2025, with inflow standing at P4.425 billion and outflow at P1.55 billion
- the AMLC report revealed that there is a derogatory record for the Vice President and her husband
- the AMLC report showing that Vice President was the subject of suspicion in 27 confidential reports dated August 2, 2024 to January 29, 2026 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, graft and corrupt practices, and malversation of public funds and property in connection with the House Quad Committee hearing on former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs, news reports alleging the involvement of the Vice President’s husband in the P6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and the news reports on the Vice President’s alleged misuse of confidential funds
- the AMLC report showing that her husband, Atty. Carpio, as subject of suspicion in 17 confidential reports from September 14, 2017 to April 25, 2025 due to suspected activities involving drug trafficking and related offenses, and malversation of public funds and property “in connection with the news reports on alleged his involvement in the PP6.4 billion shabu importation in 2017 and news articles in relation to his wife, VP Sara’s, alleged misuse of confidential/intelligence funds”
- the AMLC confirmation that at least 18 bank transactions linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and her family members, as cited in the affidavit of former senator Antonio Trillanes IV, match records of covered and suspicious transaction reports
- the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) findings that the video of a press conference showing Vice President Duterte making a threat to kill President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his family members in certain circumstances constitutes inciting to sedition and three counts of grave threat, among others.
The impeachment complaint against Vice Pres. Sara Duterte will go up to the plenary. Recently, her older brother, Davao Congressman Paolo Duterte, claimed that “coercion” has allegedly started in the House of Representatives.
Based on a post of News5, Davao Cong. Paolo Duterte claimed that there are allegedly calls to the chief of staff of the some congressmen telling them to vote in favor of the impeachment of Vice Pres. Sara Duterte. According to him, the solons are allegedly threatened that their fund for their districts under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) will be removed if they won’t.
“Tao ang gusto parusahan para lang sa desperate attempt nila na mawala ang kalaban sa pulitika. Anong kinakatakot ninyo?” the Congressman said.
Furthermore, based on the post, Davao Cong. Paolo Duterte stressed that the removal of the budget for the districts will include the funds for education, bridges, roads, and social services. He claimed that it is allegedly “outright coercion”.
“What we are seeing now under the bangag leadership is not politics as usual — this is outright coercion,” Duterte said.
