MANILA, Philippines — Criminal cases were filed yesterday against Vice President Sara Duterte and the chief of her security detail for the commotion at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City last weekend.
Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Col. Melecio Buslig Jr. and officials of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed cases of direct assault, disobedience to authority and grave coercion under the Revised Penal Code against Duterte before the Quezon City prosecutor’s office at around noon.
Also named respondents were Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, who heads the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), and several John and Jane Does.
The complainant is Lt. Col. Van Jason Villamor of the QCPD’s district medical and dental unit, whom Lachica shoved during a commotion at the VMMC when Duterte’s chief of staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez, was about to be transferred to St. Luke’s Medical Center on Saturday.
Villamor, a physician, was assigned to accompany Lopez to St. Luke’s when Lachica pushed him away. Duterte was also seen in other videos confronting other police officials.
Videos of the scuffle were shown by PNP public information officer Brig. Gen. Jean Fajardo at a news briefing yesterday morning.
“The Philippine National Police remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold justice and ensure that all individuals are held accountable under the law regardless of their position,” PNP chief Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil said in a statement.
Marbil said the filing of criminal cases against Duterte showed that the PNP respects the legal process, adding they trust the courts will conduct a fair and impartial investigation on their complaints.
In filing the cases against Duterte, Marbil stressed that nobody should be above accountability even if they are elected government officials. He stressed that any attempt to resist or disobey lawful authority undermines the integrity of democratic institutions.
Marbil also asked Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. for the names of other VPSPG who assisted in Lopez’s transfer from the VMMC to another hospital using a private ambulance.
Impeachment
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Wednesday urged the immediate impeachment of Duterte, citing concerns over her fitness for office and potential dangers should she succeed President Marcos.
In an ambush interview on the sidelines of the House quad committee investigation, Trillanes did not hold back in criticizing Duterte. “She needs to be removed from office; she’s unhinged. We’re not psychiatrists, but we know the difference between someone who’s unhinged and someone who’s normal,” Trillanes said in Filipino.
The former senator stressed the urgency of removing Duterte, noting her constitutional role as the immediate successor to the presidency.
“Even if you’re charged with criminal cases, you’re still the Vice President. So if anything happens to the President, you can still become president,” he pointed out.
Trillanes said he expects an impeachment complaint to be filed against Duterte soon, describing the case as “more than ready.”
While he did not confirm if he would personally file the complaint, Trillanes emphasized that the move to impeach Duterte would be a “joint effort.”
“There will definitely be someone who will file it. This is a joint effort,” he said, adding, “Let’s just wait. It won’t take long.”
Meanwhile, Trillanes also addressed recent comments made by former president Rodrigo Duterte, who urged the military to “correct” what he described as a fractured government.
In response, Trillanes gave assurance that senior military officers remain “solidly behind the President” but warned against complacency.
CIF probe
The House committee investigating the alleged misuse of the OVP’s confidential and intelligence funds (CIFs) plans to release its report before Congress goes on break next month, its chairman said on Wednesday.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the House committee on good government and public accountability, said he expects the upcoming hearing on Friday to be the last or second to the last committee hearing on the matter.
“Before the session ends on the third week of December, we may be able to come up with our committee report,” he said in Filipino during an interview with “Storycon” on One News.
In addition to legislative proposals, he said the report may also include other recommendations, such as if lawmakers see possible grounds for impeachment.
Chua, however, stressed that there are still no discussions regarding impeachment since the hearings are ongoing.
Disbar
Anti-poverty czar Larry Gadon yesterday urged the Supreme Court (SC) to disbar the Vice President over her expletives and threats directed against the Marcos couple and Romualdez.
Gadon, a disbarred lawyer himself, said the SC should initiate a “motu proprio proceeding of disbarment” against Duterte.
He noted that Duterte’s remarks, which were issued in a live press conference, had been seen by millions of Filipinos, reported on television, radio and newspapers “and now have become general public knowledge that the Court may take judicial notice.”
“Such statements coming from the second highest official of the land… are undoubtedly illegal, immoral and condemnable. As a lawyer herself, she should be disbarred,” Gadon said.
Gadon said disbarment proceedings against Duterte will test the SC’s fairness, noting that the high tribunal did not disbar nor suspend the Vice President when she was then Davao City mayor and punched a sheriff enforcing a court order to dismantle an informal settlers’ community.
Gadon cited his own disbarment last year when he was penalized over his profanities against journalist Raissa Robles. Gadon was disbarred in 2023 for using “misogynistic, sexist, abusive and repeated intemperate language.”
“If the Supreme Court has applied it wrongfully in the circumstances of Atty. Larry Gadon, there is no reason that the Supreme Court can not apply it rightfully to Sara Z Duterte-Carpio,” Gadon added.
In a separate interview, Gadon said he will file impeachment cases against all justices of the SC should the Court fail to act on Duterte’s disbarment.
Irregularities
The notarization of documents for the liquidation of the confidential fund of the OVP has “alarming irregularities,” according to Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre.
Lawyer Rochelle Abella told the last hearing of the House quad committee that she notarized critical certifications from OVP without the personal appearance of affiants, including the Vice President.
Citing 2004 Rules on Notarial practice, Acidre said that the affiant for a notary should be present. “Clearly, once you notarize a certain document, the affiant is required to be personally present, otherwise it is a violation of the national rules which renders the notarization invalid,” Acidre said.
Acidre also investigated the jurisdictional limitation of Abella’s notarial commission, which is registered in Manila but included documents notarized for offices located in Mandaluyong and Pasig.– Mark Ernest Villeza, Jose Rodel Clapano, Daphne Galvez, Janvic Mateo