Pro-impeachment coalition launched, seeks support for complaints

Groups pushing for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday launched an alliance—a so-called "Peach Coalition"—to gather support from the public and lawmakers for the complaints filed in the House of Representatives.

The persons behind the three impeachment complaints led the gathering during the Mass dubbed "Misa ng Sambayanan: May Kapayapaan Kung May Pananagutan" held in EDSA Shrine.

Among the attendees were Sister Lisa Ruedas of Daughters of Charity; Fr. Flavie L. Villanueva, SVD; Fr. Joel Sarabia, CM; and Francis “Kiko” Aquino Dee, grandson of the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Sr.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Sandra Aguinaldo, the Vice President's name was not mentioned during the Mass, which was attended by 10 priests.

Fr. Angel Cortez, however, spoke about impeachment and the call to stand up against wrongdoings in government.

"Hayaan nating ipaliwanag ng mga taong dapat managot kung saan nila dinala ang pera ng taumbayan dahil ito ay ating obligasyong moral. Ang impeachment ay obligaysong moral kaya marami sa hanay ng simbahan ang kasama niyo ngayong hapon dahil naninindigan kami," he said.

(Let us hear how these people would explain where they brought the people's money because this is a moral obligation. The impeachment is a moral obligation that's why many Church people are with you now because we are taking a stand.)

The gathering was held three days after Iglesia Ni Cristo's  “National Rally for Peace”, which drew over a million crowd.  Organizers said the rally aimed to make public officials end political rifts and focus on providing programs and services to Filipinos.

“It is our sacred duty as citizens to act with moral obligation. Ang ating sigaw, katarungan, kapayapaan, kabuhayan. Walang kapayapaan kung walang hustisya. Dapat managot ang may sala [ng] kasakiman, katiwalian at ilegal na paggamit ng pera ng bayan," Ruedas said.

"Ang rally ng Iglesia ni Kristo ay para lang sa kanilang grupo at hindi ito bumubuo sa buong boses ng Pilipinong nagmamahal sa katarungan at kapayapaan ng ating bayan,” she added.

(The INC rally is only for their group and does not reflect the sentiments of peace and justice-loving Filipinos.)

“Nananawagan tayo sa Kongreso, public servants...sa ating mga lawmakers. Nananawagan tayo sa simbahan, mga obispo, sa kalipunan ng mga kaparian at pastor ng simbahan. Nananawagan tayo sa lahat ng mga relihiyoso sa buong Pilipinas, support our call for impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. Duterte, panagutin, Marcos, singilin. Impeach Sara Duterte,” Ruedas added.  

(We call on our lawmakers, the clergy, the religious, to support our call for impeachment of Vice President Duterte. She needs to be held accountable.)

Former senator and Mamamayang Liberal party-list first nominee Leila de Lima said the INC rally for peace does not reflect the majority sentiment given the recent Social Weather Stations Survey (SWS) showing that 41% of Filipinos are in favor of the impeachment of the Vice President.  

“The INC’s total membership is 2.8 million, and the crowd estimate [during the Peace rally] was 1.5 million to 1.8 million. Yes, it was a massive crowd, but that number of participants out of 2.8 million membership of the religious sect? Ang malinaw ay minority ang numero nila compared a rest of the Filipinos, and then minority rin yung posisyon na dinadala nila kasi hindi yun yung lumalabas sa recent survey,” de Lima, the spokesperson of the first impeachment complainant endorsed by Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña, said.   

(It is clear that they are the minority here and they are carrying the minority position because it's not what was reflected in the recent survey.)

The three impeachment complaints against the Vice President are anchored on her alleged betrayal of public trust due to the alleged misuse of over P612 million of confidential funds.  

The impeachment complaints were filed after the House good government and public accountability inquiry on the use of confidential funds by the Vice President and the Department of Education under Duterte’s tenure.  

She resigned as DepEd chief in the middle of 2024.

The Commission on Audit reported that both offices submitted documents with wrong dates, signatures without names of signatories, and unreadable names of signatories to justify the disbursement of its confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

“We were expecting that the House would take action on our complaints last January 13, which was the resumption of the congressional session bcause that is their mandate to place it under Order of Business. But it did not happen, so we complainants decided to take action. We have to make them realize that this is another betrayal of trust if they will not take action on our complaints,” De Lima said. 

“We formed the coalition because the majority of the people are for impeachment,” she added. 

Fr. Villanueva, who is a complainant in the third impeachment complaint said stealing the people's money will "kill the people's trust."

“I am standing here in behalf of around 326 people killed during the drug war [of the Vice President’s father and former President Rodrigo Duterte]. Isantabi natin iyong usapan ng pagpatay, kasi si Sara hindi pumatay. Pero paano na ang usapin ng pagnanakaw? Hindi ba pagpatay iyon ng tiwala?” Villanueva said.

(Let's set aside talks of [drug war] killings because VP Sara did not kill. But how about the issue of stealing? Isn't it killing the people's trust?)

Villanueva also said that the church’s call for  the impeachment of Duterte is not to exercise undue interference or upstage any religious group but a duty to stand for good governance. 

“Sa Katolikong pagtuturo, sabi ng Santo Papa (In catholica teaching, the Pope said), the best way to give witness to one’s Catholic faith is in the political arena. Babatikos at babatikos kami sa mga taong naging tiwali sa kanilang tungkulin,” Villanueva said.

(We will always oppose those who betray our people's trust.)

 “Mas malaki ang Katoliko sa INC, kaya hindi namin sila kailangan tapatan,” Villanueva added.

(We are bigger than the INC, so we don't need to come up with a similar rally to prove a point.) 

The Vice President, a lawyer, has maintained that she has never misused public funds and that she welcomes the impeachment complaints so she can properly defend herself.

GMA Integrated News has reached out to the Vice President for her reaction to the coalition.—LDF, GMA Integrated News