VP Sara Duterte Faces Plunder and Graft Complaints Filed by Trillanes and Civic Group
ANTONIO TRILLANES IV – The former senator, together with members of the civil society group The Silent Majority, filed plunder and graft complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte on January 21, 2026, at the Office of the Ombudsman. The cases allege irregularities during her tenure as Vice President, as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), and previously as mayor of Davao City.
According to Jocelyn Marie Acosta, founder of The Silent Majority, the new filing expands on a previous complaint submitted in December 2025 regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds. The complaints now cover several claimed anomalies, including accusations that Duterte received money from individuals linked to illegal drug activities. They also cite alleged excessive spending from government funds, including approximately ₱650 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and DepEd, and around ₱2.7 billion from her time as Davao City mayor.
Additional issues highlighted in the complaint include a reportedly irregular ₱8 billion laptop procurement by DepEd, unexplained audit disallowances, and cash advances that were allegedly not properly accounted for. The group also claimed that only 192 classrooms were built under her leadership despite a target of more than 6,000, which they describe as evidence of mismanagement and negligence. Another allegation concerns the failure to declare over ₱2 billion in assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), which the complainants characterize as ill-gotten wealth.
The complaint further accuses Duterte of bribery and corruption, including claims that she accepted money from a person involved in illegal drugs while serving as Davao City mayor. The filing argues that these alleged actions demonstrate betrayal of public trust and render her unfit to hold any government position. The complaint also references two instances in which Duterte allegedly threatened President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
As of this report, the Vice President’s office has not issued any statement or response regarding the allegations.