VP says House probe laying ground for her impeachment

VICE-PRESIDENT Sara Duterte-Carpio on Wednesday accused congressmen of planning an impeachment complaint against her as a House of Representatives committee launched an inquiry into allegations of fund misuse by her office.

The House committee on good government on Wednesday started its investigation of the Office of the Vice President’s budget use in previous years, including her confidential funds in 2022.

At the hearing, Ms. Carpio insisted “there was no misuse of funds,” adding that she is prepared to respond to any findings by the Commission on Audit (CoA).

“They are now testing what they’ll do [and include in the articles of impeachment],” she told reporters in Filipino on the sidelines of the House hearing.

“They are saying [that the probe] is for the determination of malfeasance and misfeasance. It implies that I have done something wrong,” she added.

The House committee started the probe after Ms. Carpio missed the hearings on her office’s budget for 2025.

Congressmen last week cut her budget by 64% to P733 million, noting that her social projects are already covered by the budgets of the Health and Social Welfare departments.

She earlier accused lawmakers of using congressional budget briefings to revive old issues against her, including her P125-million confidential fund in 2022.

“To be honest, it’s not really the budget you’re targeting… What you are trying to do is make a case for impeachment,” she told congressmen.

“There is a determination of misfeasance, nonfeasance and malfeasance [at the committee],” she said. “Those are cases that should be taken in the courts of law. What we are witnessing now is no legislative inquiry.”

Ms. Carpio said lawmakers are “testing what they’ll do” once an impeachment suit is filed against her.

“I don’t see how this can be considered as a prelude to impeachment,” Party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo L. Gutierrez, a member of the House good government committee, told reporters after the hearing.

Congressmen are want to hold Ms. Carpio accountable if the allegations of fund misuse are proven, he added.

Ms. Carpio’s spent P125 million in confidential funds in just 11 days in 2022, Marikina Rep. Stella Luz A. Quimbo told the House plenary exactly a year ago, as she endorsed the 2024 budget of the Commission on Audit (CoA).

Ms. Quimbo, House appropriations committee senior vice chairperson, said this was based on liquidation reports submitted by Ms. Carpio’s office to CoA on Jan. 17.

The funds came from the P221.42-million contingent fund that the Office of the President had approved and released on Dec. 13, according to the Budget department’s special allotment release order.

Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin had said the P125-million confidential funds were used to build satellite offices, a flagship program of Ms. Carpio. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio