Vice President Sara Duterte accused some members of the House of Representatives of weaponizing the impeachment process for political bargaining, saying renewed talk of filing a complaint against her is timed to coincide with the final passage of the 2026 national budget.

In a strongly worded statement, Duterte said the pattern has become “all too familiar,” accusing lawmakers of using impeachment not as a constitutional safeguard but as leverage for allocations.

“I have always stood ready to answer any allegation grounded in fact and truth. But I cannot remain silent while the impeachment process is being twisted into a budget-driven racket,” she said Monday, Dec. 8.

“Filipinos deserve better,” she added.

Vice President Duterte recalled disclosures made last year by Sen. Chiz Escudero, Rep. Toby Tiangco, and other House lawmakers that signatures for her impeachment were allegedly courted in February 2024 in exchange for budget assistance.

Their revelations, Duterte said, “unmasked the truth that the impeachment complaint against me was never really driven by principle but by price.”

Despite the seriousness of the allegation, the Vice President said Congress did not pursue any inquiry into the purported misuse of “billions of pesos… squandered on political warfare.”

Duterte maintained that she welcomes any complaint “grounded in fact and truth,” but rejected what she described as attempts to use impeachment as a negotiating tool ahead of the budget’s approval.

“To those who continue to exploit the impeachment process, stop hiding behind the language of ‘good governance,’” she said.

The Vice President added that she remains prepared to answer any legitimate allegation, but emphasized that she will not allow a constitutional mechanism to be “distorted for political gain.”

Duterte’s statement comes as the House grapples with final adjustments to the 2026 national budget, a period historically marked by heightened negotiations.