VP Sara Duterte, 15 OVP and DepEd Officials Face Plunder and Graft Complaints at Ombudsman

Vice President Sara Duterte and fifteen officials from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) were formally charged with plunder, bribery, malversation, and other graft-related offenses in a complaint filed at the Office of the Ombudsman on Wednesday noon.

The complaint, submitted in bulk documents transported in an L300 van, was lodged by a coalition of civil society and church leaders. The group includes prominent figures such as 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, the “Running Priest” Fr. Roberto Reyes, and former Presidential Adviser Teresita Quintos-Deles, alongside representatives from the academe, women’s organizations, and youth groups.

According to the complainants, the charges stem from alleged irregularities in the management and disbursement of confidential funds entrusted to Duterte during her tenure as Vice President and her prior service as Secretary of Education. The complaint lists violations including the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust.

Fr. Villanueva emphasized that the filing is not politically motivated, but rather a call for accountability and transparency, insisting that no public official should be exempt from criminal liability.

The Complaint-Affidavit alleges that VP Duterte orchestrated and directed a parallel scheme within the OVP and DepEd to misappropriate a total of PHP 612.5 million in confidential funds.

“We are confident that the evidence presented is sufficient for the Ombudsman to proceed with an investigation,” Fr. Villanueva said, reiterating the group’s intent to uphold truth and public accountability.

The filing marks one of the most high-profile complaints against a sitting Vice President in recent Philippine history and is expected to draw significant public and political attention.

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