Metro Manila, Philippines – House Deputy Minority Leader Leila de Lima said plunder and graft complaints filed against Vice President Sara Duterte could serve as the basis for a new impeachment case once the constitutional one-year bar lapses.

De Lima said the criminal complaints, filed by civil society groups before the Office of the Ombudsman, involve allegations that overlap with grounds for impeachment, including plunder, bribery, graft and corruption, malversation, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution.

“These are not mere fishing expeditions,” De Lima said, countering Duterte’s claim that the complaints were politically motivated. She said the filings are backed by “voluminous evidence” that warrants investigation.

The former justice secretary said the Ombudsman has jurisdiction to investigate the criminal aspects of the complaints, and its findings could later be used to support impeachment proceedings in Congress.

De Lima noted that a previous impeachment complaint against Duterte was archived after the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional for violating the one-year bar rule. However, she said the issue remains unresolved because motions for reconsideration are still pending before the high court.

“If and when the one-year bar expires in February, nothing will prevent the filing of another impeachment complaint,” De Lima said.

She added that even if the Supreme Court upholds its earlier ruling, the Ombudsman’s findings on the plunder and graft complaints could still form the basis of a new impeachment case.

De Lima said impeachment is not solely a political process but a constitutional mechanism for accountability.

“When allegations rise to this level, they cannot simply be dismissed,” she said.

Vice President Duterte has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and has said she is prepared to face any legal challenge.