Rep. Marcos, key solons among VP Sara Duterte impeachment signatories
Vice President Sara Duterte and Rep. Ferdinand Alexander “Sandro” Marcos. INQUIRER/PPA POOL photos
MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte after 215 lawmakers signed and endorsed a complaint against her on Wednesday. But whose names are behind the numbers?
Documents sent to reporters by House staffers showed that key House officials, including Senior Deputy Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Alexander Marcos — son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. — signed the complaint.
Rep. Marcos was first among the 215 who affixed their signatures, while House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez was the last to sign.
The following House officials also endorsed the complaint against Duterte:
- Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales
- Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe
- Deputy Speaker David Suarez
- Committee on accounts chair and Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez
- Committee on public accounts chair and Abang Lingkod party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen Paduano
- Committee on public order and safety chair and Santa Rosa City Rep. Dan Fernandez
- Committee on dangerous drugs chair and Surigao del Norte 2nd District Rep. Robert Ace Barbers
Below is the full list of lawmakers who endorsed the complaint.
Article continues after this advertisementMeanwhile, the following lawmakers were designated as members of the prosecution team:
- Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro
- Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop
- 1-Rider party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez
- Manila Rep. Joel Chua
- Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Raul Angelo Bongalon
- General Santos City Rep. Loreto Acharon
- 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino Libanan
- Oriental Mindoro Rep. Arnan Panaligan
- San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora
- Iloilo Rep. Lorenz Defensor
- Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores
The complaints against Duterte were based on her threat to have Romualdez, President Marcos, and first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos assassinated, along with the findings of the House Committee on good government and public accountability.
In September 2024, the panel started its investigation into the alleged misuse of the confidential funds (CFs) of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) when Duterte was DepEd secretary.
Throughout the panel’s hearings, it was revealed that some of the acknowledgment receipts (ARs) for the CFs were signed by a certain Mary Grace Piattos whom Acop said bears a first name similar to a coffee shop, and a surname that is a famous potato chip brand.
Later on, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong showed two ARs — one for OVP and another for the DepEd — which were both received by a certain Kokoy Villamin. However, the signatures and handwriting of Villamin differed.
READ: House probe: OVP, DepEd CFs received by same man, different signatures
The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) eventually said that the names Mary Grace Piattos and Kokoy Villamin do not exist within their live birth, marriage, and death registry.
Furthermore, PSA said that they have no records of the more than 400 names on the ARs for the DepEd’s CFs.
