A lawyer involved in the filing of a third impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte explained that the growth in public support for her dismissal reflects a prevalent desire for accountability over allegedly misused funds.
Results from a recent survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) indicate that 41 percent of Filipinos are in agreement with her impeachment, while 35 percent are against and 19 percent are undecided.
“It’s not surprising that more Filipinos are in favor of impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte than those opposed to it. There is palpable broad-based support for the initiatives to hold her accountable for the controversial manner she spent the multi-million confidential funds,” Legal counsel Amando Virgil Ligutan said.
He reasoned that the Vice President’s denial of transparency regarding the lost funds “struck a nerve” among Filipinos, and that they have lost patience for the sort of politics she embodies—“one that normalizes impunity and disregards public trust.”
Ligutan said the undecided have spurred them to step up efforts in raising awareness about the alleged discrepancies.
He also encouraged members of the Congress to back the impeachment.
Duterte had allegedly mismanaged ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, the disbursement of which was overrun by irregularities such as transactions with fictitious identities. She has welcomed the impeachment complaints, as it saves her aides from political “attacks.”
