Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte brushed off one of the impeachment complaints against her as “baseless,” slamming the Akbayan party-list and its chair emeritus, Sen. Risa Hontiveros, as having no credibility to support any ouster bid.
Duterte singled out Akbayan in her video statement on Saturday, Feb. 7, as the party-list group is only one of the endorsers of the fresh complaints seeking to unseat her from power.
“Ang impeachment complaint na inendorso ng Akbayan ay isang papel na walang kalakip na kahit anong ebidensiyang magpapatunay sa mga paratang na isinasaad dito,” Duterte said.
[Translation: The impeachment complaint endorsed by Akbayan is a document without any evidence attached to support its allegations.]
The vice president said the impeachment complaint was nothing new following her exit from the Cabinet in 2024 and the supposed “fishing expedition” of the House of Representatives in the 19th Congress on her alleged misuse of confidential funds.
Duterte said Akbayan has no credibility to support any impeachment complaint as she alleged that its “leader” expressed intention to run for presidency several times.
For her, this was a clear indication of political motive in the part of the party-list group.
When asked during a recent forum if she will run for the presidency in the 2028 elections, Hontiveros said: “I will run if the united opposition chooses me.”
The vice president also cited Hontiveros’ speech in 2024 where the senator alleged the Dutertes are supported by China.
“Kaya malinaw na lahat ng ito ay isang uri ng harassment at pang-aabuso sa proseso ng impeachment ng grupong Akbayan,” Duterte said.
“Hindi malinaw kung ano ang ipinaglalaban nila para sa kaayusan ng bayan, pero napakalinaw ng kanilang pamumulitika at pagpapahirap sa usaping diplomasya ng ating bansa,” she said.
[Translation: It is clear that this is a form of harassment and abuse of the impeachment process by the Akbayan group. It is not clear what they are fighting for in terms of public order, but it is clear they are politicizing and making diplomacy difficult.]
Akbayan: Impeachment ‘rattled’ Sara
Akbayan President Rafaela David dismissed Duterte’s statement, adding that the video “doesn’t project confidence, it reeks of fear, poorly disguised as bravado.”
“For something she insists has no merit, it rattled her enough to release a video message, not to answer the serious charges, but to desperately attack us and our Chair Emeritus, Sen. Risa Hontiveros,” David said.
“She even called the complaint ‘harassment.’ How can something she insists is baseless harass her?” she said.
David said Duterte has not yet explained her alleged misuse of P612 million in confidential funds as well as the controversial “Mary Grace Piattos” and other aliases used in supposed fund receipts.
“Tama na ang palusot [Enough with the excuses], Sara. Prepare to go down in history as the first vice president to be impeached, not once, but twice,” the Akbayan president said.
Over 200 House members impeached Duterte in February 2025, but the Supreme Court ruled the Articles of Impeachment as unconstitutional for violating the one-year bar rule.
The high court, however, noted it is not absolving Duterte from any of the charges against her, adding that a new impeachment complaint may be filed starting Feb. 6 this year.
Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima were the endorsers of the second impeachment complaint filed by a group of civil society and religious leaders on Feb. 2.
Earlier on that day, the Makabayan bloc supported the first impeachment complaint submitted by the progressive coalition Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.
The two impeachment complaints against Duterte were transmitted to the Office of the House Speaker on Feb. 5. The suits are expected to be tackled in plenary.
