ILOILO City – “Kong isa ka ya ka opisyal nga may gahum sa aton nga pungsod, kabudlay nga i-hold accountable. Pero kon ordinary ya nga tawo, daw kadali lang nga tapak-tapakan.”
Former Kabataan party-list representative Raoul Danniel Abellar Manuel has criticized the Supreme Court’s decision declaring the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio unconstitutional, calling it a “mistake” and a disservice to public accountability.
The ruling, which effectively halts the Senate trial of Duterte-Carpio following her impeachment by the House of Representatives, has sparked outrage among progressive groups and activists who staged a protest in front of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol on July 28 during President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“Sala ang decision. Indi buot silingon nga supreme ang Supreme Court, perpekto na sila. We have the right to question kon may nakit-an kita nga wala na align sa interest sang pamuluyo,” said Manuel.
Manuel, who endorsed the impeachment complaint in the House, argued that the trial should have proceeded to allow the Senate to weigh evidence on Duterte-Carpio’s controversial use of P612.5 million in confidential funds.
Manuel also took aim at President Marcos, accusing him of hypocrisy for touting the strength of the country’s justice system while allegedly shielding powerful figures from accountability.
“With all due respect sa Supreme Court, wala kita naga-agree sa decision. Ang impeachment ni Sara Duterte kadamo sang nagduso nga mga grupo. In fact tatlo ka impeachment complaints nakalab-ot sa House of Representatives antis gin decide-dan nga ang fourth impeachment complaint ipadala sa Senate. Nagapakita ini nga damo, millions nga Pilipinom ang nagapati nga dapat madayon ang trial,” Manuel said.
Monday’s SONA-timed protest drew more than 800 participants who carried banners and shouted slogans such as “Convict Sara” to amplify their call for truth and accountability.
According to the Supreme Court, the House impeachment complaint is barred by the one-year rule in filing such complaint.
On February 5, 2025 the House of Representatives impeached Duterte, with more than 200 lawmakers supporting the complaint. The articles of impeachment were sent to the Senate on the same day; however, the upper chamber adjourned without addressing the impeachment case.
Initially, three impeachment complaints were lodged by different groups and supported by various lawmakers against the Vice President, primarily alleging betrayal of public trust due to the purported misuse of over P612 million in confidential funds.
These impeachment complaints were submitted following an inquiry by the House on good governance and public accountability, which revealed that, according to the submissions from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education during Vice President Duterte’s term as Education chief to the Commission on Audit, the OVP and DepEd liquidated P612 million in confidential funds received from 2022 to 2023 with acknowledgment receipts that contained incorrect dates, signatories lacking birth records, unnamed signatures, and illegible signatories, among other issues.
However, these three complaints were not forwarded by House Secretary General Reginald Velasco to the Office of the Speaker, Leyte’s Cong. Martin Romualdez, which is a necessary step for the complaint to be scheduled for deliberation at the House Committee on Justice level.
The fourth impeachment complaint was filed in February and has garnered support from over 200 lawmakers, significantly exceeding the one-third threshold of all House members required for the complaint to be sent directly to the Senate for trial, as outlined in the 1987 Constitution.
The fourth impeachment complaint accused the Vice President of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other serious crimes, primarily concerning the alleged misuse of confidential funds and threats to kill President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., and his wife Liza and the President’s cousin and Speaker Romualdez./PN
