Vice President Sara Duterte (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILABULLETIN)

Members of the House minority bloc have welcomed the filing of a third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, the country’s second highest-ranked official. 

Expressing their approval for the third complaint were Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña; and Makabayan bloc solons ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel. 

Incidentally, Cendaña endorsed the first impeachment complaint against Duterte that was filed at the House of Representatives last Dec. 2, while the militant trio endorsed the second impeachment complaint filed last Dec. 4.

"We welcome the filing of a third impeachment complaint against VP Sara Duterte. As an endorser of the first impeachment complaint, any initiative from our citizens to hold VP Duterte accountable is an encouraging development," Cendaña said in a statement.

"We must lift the blanket of fear foisted on us by the Duterte family that has prevented many from speaking out against their abuses. We urge other groups and individuals to join efforts in holding Sara Duterte and her allies accountable for their crimes in all legal avenues available to us," added the Akbayan congressman.

The Makabayan bloc shared similar sentiments in a separate statement.

"We, the Makabayan bloc representatives, welcome the filing of the third impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte by religious groups, priests, and lawyers. This further strengthens the call for accountability regarding the questionable use of confidential funds," the faction said.

"We remind VP Sara Duterte that her previous statement welcoming these impeachment complaints should translate to full cooperation with the impeachment process."

Castro said: "The filing of three separate impeachment complaints from various sectors of society shows the gravity of VP Sara Duterte's misuse of P612 million in confidential funds." 

"The Filipino people deserve to know the truth about how their hard-earned tax money was spent," Brosas said.

Makabyan described the allegations against Vice President Duterte as serious, from the failure to provide documentary evidence, to the use of fictitious individuals for acknowledgment receipts, to the deliberate concealment of actual intelligence gathering activities. 

"These are not mere technical violations but point to systematic corruption and betrayal of public trust," added Manuel.

The third impeachment complaint was filed on Dec. 19. Minority members Camarines Sur 3rd district Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. and AAMBIS-OWA Party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Cris Colada endorsed the latest complaint.