ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro debunked on Wednesday, Sept. 11, the claims of Vice President Sara Duterte that the Makabayan bloc held meetings with House Speaker Martin Romualdez in connection with the alleged plot to impeach her.

"Unang-una, walang katotohanan na kami sa Makabayan bloc ay nakipagpulong kay House Speaker Romualdez para sa impeachment ni VP Duterte,” Castro said in a statement.

(First of all, it is not true that we in the Makabayan bloc met with House Speaker Romualdez for the impeachment of VP Duterte.)

“Pangalawa, walang pahayag ang Makabayan bloc noong Setyembre 2023 na nagtutulak kami ng impeachment. Sa katunayan, may pahayag pa nga kami noong Agosto at Nobyembre 2023, na nagsasabi na premature ang usapin sa impeachment,” she added.

(Second, the Makabayan bloc had no statement in September 2023 that we were pushing for impeachment. In fact, we even had a statement in August and November 2023, saying that an impeachment move was premature.)

In the latest recorded video interview with Duterte, the official asserted that she was no longer surprised by impeachment rumors since it was “openly” being discussed in the House of Representatives. 

According to the Vice President, Castro is at the “center” of the impeachment talks.

“Kung babalik tayo noong nakaraang taon ay nagsalita na si France Castro noong November 2023, nagsabi na siya, ‘Ay, pinag-uusapan namin ang impeachment ni Inday Sara.’ At nagbigay siya ng mga basehan doon sa ipa-file daw nila na impeachment,” said Duterte.

(If we go back to last year, France Castro spoke in November 2023, she said, 'Oh, we are talking about the impeachment of Inday Sara.' And she gave the basis for them to file impeachment.)

Duterte noted that the confidential funds from the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd) were removed last year following the Makabayan bloc’s alleged meeting with Speaker Romualdez.

She claimed that Romualdez moved to realign the funds so that the lawmakers of the Makabayan bloc will no longer “attack” him.

In the same video, Duterte insisted that she did not misused any confidential funds from either the OVP or the DepEd during her tenure as secretary.

“VP Duterte should get her facts straight at hindi puro marites ang source (and not use mere gossip as source),” Castro stressed.

The congresswoman said she already made statements last year that brought up how “talks of impeachment are premature”.

She even urged colleagues to give more focus on the controversial spending of the P125 million in confidential funds of the OVP.

"We hoped that Vice President Sara Duterte will use the OVP budget hearing to personally clarify her position on this sensitive issue, but she just used squid tactics to avoid answering and even boycotted the hearing yesterday,” she added.

Castro, however, observed that the possibility of impeachment against Duterte remains. She said this was “a logical consequence” for the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

“We reiterate that no legal framework permits such rapid expenditure without breaching established fiscsal protocols,” the Makabayan member said, referring to the OVP's spending of the funds within an 11-day period in December 2022.

“Vice President Duterte's dismissive response to the removal of her office's confidential funds only underscores the need for further scrutiny,” she continued.

Aside from Castro, Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel and Gabriela Women’s Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas make up the Makabayan Bloc in the 19th Congress.