Two senior House lawmakers have vowed to keep pressing Vice President Sara Duterte to answer for the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds, insisting that the recent Supreme Court (SC) ruling on her impeachment case did not clear her of wrongdoing.
Deputy Speakers Paolo Ortega of La Union and Jay Khonghun of Zambales stressed that the SC’s decision declaring the impeachment complaint “unconstitutional” focused solely on procedure, not the substance of the allegations.
“The accountability part was not resolved, so we intend to continue asking her to account for those funds and answer for how they have been handled or mishandled,” Ortega said, noting that the charges could still be addressed through another impeachment process and trial in the Senate.
Khonghun echoed this, clarifying that the court’s 93-page ruling “did not absolve VP Duterte of culpability in the use of P612.5 million received by her offices.” He warned that “the Vice President is not yet off the hook” and vowed to pursue accountability “wherever it takes us.”
The lawmakers issued the statement after online posts falsely claimed the high court’s decision cleared Duterte of liability. Khonghun called out what he described as “trolls and disinformation peddlers” from the Duterte camp.
Both said they are hopeful the SC will reverse its decision, which would reopen the door for an impeachment trial. If not, Ortega said they would revisit the matter after February 6, 2026, to determine the next steps in holding Duterte to account.
