By Ade S. Fajardo
The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives filed fresh impeachment raps against Vice President Sara Duterte.
This jumps the gun on possibly weak impeachment complaints from other parties.
The move follows the Supreme Court resolution denying the motion for reconsideration filed by the House that sought the reversal of the decision dismissing the 2025 articles of impeachment against the VP.
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That resolution reset the one-year bar rule to mid-January this year. A new impeachment complaint could be filed by as early as two weeks ago.
Given the tone of the Supreme Court decision, that due process of law is paramount, the proceedings before the House committee on justice, assuming the new complaint is found sufficient in form and substance, will likely resemble court trial proceedings — with less technicalities to mar reception of evidence.
This means that subpoenas will be issued and testimony received under full media coverage.
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This new complaint zeroes in on how the VP spent confidential funds in her capacity as such and as secretary of education at the beginning of the Marcos Jr. administration.
Notably, it cites an affidavit executed on November 29, 2025, by one Ramil Madriaga which purportedly corroborates some of the facts which came to light in the House investigation of the VP’s confidential funds.
According to Madriaga, he knows the VP because he had been tasked to form the Vice President Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), in the course of which he personally introduced and recommended Colonel Dennis Nolasco to the VP.
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To recall, former DepEd disbursement officer Edward Fajarda testified that he withdrew confidential funds from the bank, placed them in a backpack and two duffle bags, and forthwith turned them over to Colonel Nolasco.
The impeachment complaint notes that Nolasco is yet to offer an explanation on the matter.
Meanwhile, Madriaga narrates that he worked with Nolasco in transporting large sums of money to several persons including a Laguna mayor and certain alumni of the San Sebastian College of Law.
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Madriaga also mentions Colonel Raymund Dante Lachica who was tapped by Nolasco to head the VPSPG.
The OVP disbursement officer had admitted that it was the VP herself who ordered them to turn over the funds to OVP security officer Lachica.
When asked why she gave the money to Lachica, Gina Acosta testified that she would not have done so were it not for the VP’s instructions.
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Earlier, impeachment complaints against Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. were declared sufficient in form by the House committee in justice.
Now we are faced with the specter of the two topmost members of the erstwhile UniTeam each facing impeachment proceedings in the committee.
If he survives this, the president’s political capital will be damaged and that’s it. He is not fit for reelection. The fallout will be more damaging to the VP who is said to be the frontrunner in the 2028 presidential elections./WDJ