Hometown supporters say impeachment raps vs VP Sara meant to stop her 2028 Palace bid
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 March) – For the supporters of Vice President Sara Duterte in her hometown Davao City, the impeachment complaints against her are merely an attempt by her political opponents to prevent her from running for president in 2028.
One of these supporters, Adel Barzaga, said the complaints were baseless and unfair as the proceedings only targeted the vice president, adding the investigations should cover all officials implicated in various corruption scandals to ensure accountability.
Barzaga said is willing to debate even with her own relatives who believe the reports of corruption allegations against Duterte.
Now 43, Barzaga runs her own flower business on the same street where Sara and her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte would always buy flowers.
She said she admired the Dutertes for enhancing the city’s security environment and keeping its residents safe. She insisted that the Dutertes are not corrupt.
Lilia Baldonado, 66, a banana cue vendor, said she also wants to see Sara in Malacañang Palace to address the country’s pressing problems, including the illegal drug menace.
She believed it would take another Duterte to solve the problem of illegal drugs and prevent the youth from being lured into it.
For his part, Davao City 1st District Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo, a close ally of the Duterte family, scoffed at the new impeachment complaints against the Vice President, dismissing them as based on “recycled issues.”
“They just keep repeating the same issues, about the confidential funds and other issues. As the Supreme Court has said, impeachment is all about presenting evidence and proving it beyond a reasonable doubt. They just want to prove their narrative that the Vice President is impeachable,” he said.
The lawmaker believed her political opponents wanted her removed from office as she is a “formidable opponent” in the 2028 presidential elections.
“As a matter of fact, she dominates the ratings. Normally, mga ambisyoso na gusto maging presidente (those with ambitions to become President) will gang up on her. And knowing that the administration is against her, they will do everything in their power and influence just to eliminate the Vice President,” he said.
He said the 24-member local council is giving full support to Duterte.
On Wednesday, the House committee on justice found sufficient grounds in the impeachment complaints and scheduled hearings on March 25 and April 14, 22, and 29, 2026, to determine probable cause.
Two impeachment complaints were filed on February 2, while the third and fourth were lodged on February 9 and 18, respectively. The committee set initial deliberations on the complaints on March 2 to 4.
Before the initial deliberations began, one of the complaints was withdrawn by the complainant, Francis Joseph Aquino Dee. On March 4, the committee found two of the remaining three complaints sufficient in form and substance and asked Duterte to file her answer.
Among the grounds cited in the complaints were gross abuse of discretionary powers in relation to the use of confidential funds, gross disregard of the principle of transparency and accountability, disregard of congressional oversight as Duterte allegedly evaded important questions about her office’s expenditures, culpable violations of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.
According to the complainants, Duterte has failed to explain to the Filipino people how she was able to spend ₱112.5 million in 11 days while she was at the helm of the Department of Education. She was also accused of misuse of ₱500 million in confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President.
In her 13-page Answer Ad Cautelam, Duterte argued that the two impeachment complaints lacked ultimate facts to substantiate allegations of impeachable offenses, while the proceedings violated her right to due process.
During Wednesday’s deliberation, ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio noted that Duterte’s answer did not directly deny the allegations raised in the two impeachment complaints against her.
“She has never categorically said that these accusations are untrue or explained what actually happened. Instead, she hides behind the arguments of her lawyers and technicalities such as the supposed lack of due process and the alleged insufficiency of evidence against her,” he said.
He added that Duterte was also “deliberately distorting the nature of this process” when she argued that the committee should await a final decision from the Commission on Audit involving a notice of disallowance on her confidential funds.
“Public service demands a higher standard than simply the absence of a final judgment from the courts… High public office requires a higher standard,” he said. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
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