08/03/2026
SHE STANDS ALONE, BUT SHE STILL STANDS STRONG
After the 2022 elections, many Filipinos hoped for a new era of governance. The victory of the UniTeam brought expectations of unity and progress for the country.
Bongbong Marcoswas elected President, and Inday Sara Duterte became Vice President.
Soon after, Vice President Sara Duterte was entrusted with major responsibilities. Aside from being the duly elected Vice President, she was appointed Secretary of the Department of Education, Vice Co-Chairperson of the NTF-ELCAC, and President of SEAMEO. These positions carried immense responsibility and required decisive leadership.
Given the scale and sensitivity of these roles, the request for Confidential Funds was meant to support intelligence gathering and address urgent security concerns tied to education, national security, and insurgency.
Yet instead of receiving support from the very coalition she helped bring to victory, Vice President Duterte soon became the target of relentless political attacks.
What followed was not governance—but a sustained political campaign.
The Timeline of the Attacks
The campaign began with the issue of Confidential Funds, which quickly became the main narrative used against her.
May 11, 2023
The Makabayan Bloc first publicly raised the issue of Confidential Funds.
August 8, 2023
France Castro called for the P500 million Confidential Fund of the Department of Education to be realigned to the Philippine Coast Guard—effectively placing both the OVP and DepEd under political attack.
August 24, 2023
The Makabayan Bloc pushed for an investigation into the P125 million Confidential Fund of the Office of the Vice President.
August 25, 2023
The idea of filing an impeachment complaint was floated.
August 26, 2023
Ironically, Castro herself admitted the impeachment move was “still premature” because there was no evidence of wrongdoing.
August 29, 2023
Lawmakers vowed to interrogate the OVP regarding the Confidential Funds.
September 4, 2023
Questions were raised about the P2.3 billion budget request of the OVP.
September 14, 2023
The first Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) was issued by the Commission on Audit. Narratives soon followed claiming the funds were used within 11 days, fueling political speculation with Stella Quimbo taking the lead.
September 25, 2023
Members of the Makabayan Bloc reportedly met with Martin Romualdez, Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, solidifying a political alliance against the Vice President.
October 3, 2023
A second AOM was issued. The OVP complied with all audit requirements. Despite the allegations, the office continued to receive an Unmodified Opinion from COA, the highest audit rating.
With corruption allegations failing to gain traction, political maneuvering intensified. Discussions within Congress began floating the possibility of Romualdez positioning himself for the presidency.
To build political capital, massive social assistance programs such as AKAP, AICS, and TUPAD were expanded through the national budget.
November 2023
Vice President Duterte confronted President Marcos about reports that an impeachment case was being prepared in the House.
Before leaving for the APEC Summit, President Marcos reportedly assured her: “Don’t worry, I will take care of you.” Yet political pressure continued to escalate.
December 2023
Attempts were made in Congress to drastically cut the budget of the Office of the Vice President. Despite the attacks, the OVP still secured approximately ₱700 million in funding.
During a meeting in Davao, President Marcos allegedly warned her: “Mag-ingat ka. Tuturuan ka namin.”
Shortly after, attacks intensified from political figures, media narratives, and organized groups.
July 19, 2024
Vice President Duterte resigned as Secretary of DepEd.
August 27, 2024
The Notice of Disallowance (NOD) was issued—weeks after her resignation.
September 2024 onwards
A series of accusations emerged from the House of Representatives:
• misuse of funds
• missing money narratives
• alleged safehouses
• claims she needed psychological evaluation
• malversation
• betrayal of public trust
• fabricated intelligence identities
• “Mary Grace Piattos” controversy
• alleged discrepancies in fund usage
December 2024
Impeachment complaints were formally filed, focusing heavily on intelligence code names used to protect confidential informants.
February 5, 2025
The House pushed to investigate the Notice of Disallowance involving ₱12.3 billion in government expenditures, despite similar NODs existing across other government agencies—including the Office of the President.
February 27, 2025
Some leaders from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines publicly urged swift action on the impeachment.
June 11, 2025
Multiple criminal and administrative complaints were filed against Vice President Duterte.Observers viewed this as an attempt to silence and intimidate her politically.
July 25, 2025
The Supreme Court of the Philippines ruled 13–0–2 that the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Duterte were unconstitutional. The decision was a major legal victory.
September 29, 2025
During a privilege speech, Chiz Escudero revealed that the impeachment campaign was allegedly orchestrated by Speaker Martin Romualdez using political influence and promises of government project funding to secure support from lawmakers.
This was later echoed by Toby Tiangco and other whistleblowers who claimed the political maneuvering revolved around control of government funds.
While political attacks dominated headlines, the country faced growing economic challenges:
• GDP growth slowed to 3% in Q4 2025, the weakest in nearly five years.
• Full-year growth dropped to 4.4%, down from 5.7% in 2024.
• Investment contracted by 10.9%, signaling weakening business confidence.
• Industry declined, while agriculture showed minimal growth.
At the same time, the Philippines’ national debt surged to ₱17.7 trillion, according to the Bureau of the Treasury.
The country’s debt-to-GDP ratio rose to 63.2%, exceeding the internationally accepted threshold of 60%, the highest level since 2005.
These economic challenges should have demanded the full attention of policymakers. Instead, the focus remained on removing the Vice President.
And yet she still stands.
Despite years of political attacks, investigations, accusations, and legal battles, Vice President Sara Duterte remains standing.
While many have tried to weaken her politically, she continues to face these challenges with “tapang at malasakit.”
Because sometimes, leadership is not measured by how many allies stand beside you, but by how firmly you stand, even when you stand alone.
Kaya dapat lang “IBALIK ANG TAPANG AT MALASAKIT!”
