Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte is facing multiple complaints, including plunder, with the office of the Ombudsman, for her alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds – one of the grounds of her archived impeachment case.
Civil society leaders, including 2025 Ramon Magsaysay awardee Fr. Flaviano Villanueva and former Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno, filed the complaint on Friday, Dec. 12.
The issues are plunder, bribery, malversation of public funds, graft, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust.
Fourteen other officers from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education were also named as respondents.
The list includes Zuleika Lopez, Duterte’s chief of staff, and former education undersecretary and spokesperson Michael Poa. Other respondents are:
- Lemuel Ortonio
- Rosalynne L. Sanchez
- Julieta L. Villadelrey
- Gina F. Acosta
- Col. Raymund Dante P. Lachica
- Sunshine Charry A. Fajarda
- Annalyn M. Sevilla
- Gloria Mercado
- Ma. Rhunna L. Catalan
- Edward D. Fajarda
- Ret. Maj. Gen. Nolasco A. Mempin
- Lt. Col. Dennis Nolasco
“According to the filing, entire cash advances were turned over to unbonded AFP officers designated by the vice president, despite these officers having no legal authority to receive government funds. This repeated transfer of funds outside accountable custody is alleged to be a serious misuse of state resources,” the complainants said.
In a House hearing in 2024, Acosta admitted disbursing P125 million in confidential funds to Lachica – the former chief of the vice president’s security group – upon Duterte’s instruction.
Meanwhile, Edward Fajarda of DepEd also told lawmakers that he disbursed millions of funds to Nolasco.
Complainants flagged fictitious names in acknowledgement receipts, like the popular “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Nova,” and “Oishi” – all named after a restaurant and popular snack brands.
They also noted the testimonies of former education officials receiving monthly envelopes of cash ranging from P12,000 to P50,000 “to secure cooperation in handling and liquidating confidential funds,” which, they said, constitute bribery.
Villanueva said the use of confidential funds does not exempt the vice president from accountability.
“Hindi dapat magtago ang isang taong gumamit ng confidential funds sa confidential nature. Accountability takes precedence before the confidential funds,” he said.
[Translation: A person who used confidential funds should not hide behind their confidential nature. Accountability takes precedence over the confidential funds.]
Duterte warns motive behind complaint
Duterte branded the plunder complaint as another “fishing expedition,” claiming her critics were “scrambling to weaponize any accusation they can manufacture just to create a semblance of procedural legitimacy for an investigation.”
She said this was not a search for truth but a cover-up on the stealing of public funds which no one has been held accountable for.
In February, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte for supposed budget misuse and threats to the presidential family, among others.
The Senate archived her impeachment in August after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled that the case violated the one year bar rule under the Constitution.
“It’s recognized that we have various mechanisms, various institutions to hold our politicians accountable,” Magno said when asked if the complaint was a remedy for the SC ruling.
She said complainants are expecting the ombudsman to direct the Anti Money Laundering Council to disclose Duterte’s bank records.
