Former Senator Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes and nine other complainants on Wednesday, Jan. 21, filed plunder, graft, and other criminal charges before the Office of the Ombudsman against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Duterte was charged not only as vice president but also as former Department of Education (DepEd) secretary and Davao City mayor.

Trillanes and his group wanted Duterte held accountable for violations of Republic Act No. 7080, the Anti-Plunder Act; RA 3019, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act; RA 6713, the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees; the Revised Penal Code on direct/indirect bribery; RA 9160, the Anti-Money Laundering Act; and RA 1379, the Forfeiture Law.

The complaints cited the alleged offenses committed by Duterte during her tenure in public service like the misuse of her confidential and intelligence funds (CIF).

Trillanes and his group said that P125 million of confidential funds (CF) were given to the Office of the Vice President in December 2022 and the P500 million CF was received by the OVP in 2023.

"For each quarter covering the period January to September 2023, the OVP disbursed P125,000,000 for each quarter or a total of P375,000,000," the complaints stated.

"The OVP no longer disbursed the remaining amount of P125,000,000 applicable for the 4th quarter of 2023. Although viewed by most as savings, if the subject confidential funds were really intended for particular public use, the underspending can have significant negative consequences, including delays in project implementation, reduced economic activity, increased costs, erosion of public trust, and challenges in future budget allocations," the complainants also alleged.

They also claimed that aside from the CF received by the OVP, the DepEd was also given P150 million from June 30, 2022 to June 19, 2024. From that amount, P112,500,000 was utilized, they added.

Out of an aggregate CF of P650 million for both the OVP and DepEd for 2023, Trillanes and his group said that Duterte spent P487,500,000.

"The P150,000,000 CF the respondent (VP Duterte) requested for the DepEd is particularly shocking and mind-boggling because the DepEd is a civilian agency that is concerned primarily with the education of elementary and secondary grade students. Before this, requesting confidential funds for said civilian agency, particularly in the amount of P150,000,000.00, was completely unheard of," they also alleged.

At the same time, they said: "Also unheard of is the P500,000,000 CF respondent requested and obtained for the OVP. Like the DepEd, the OVP is likewise a civilian agency which, prior to respondent Duterte’s assumption to Office, did not receive any CIF."

The complainants cited that when asked about these deficiencies and how public funds were spent during the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives during the Budget Hearings in 2023, Duterte reportedly "resorted to personal attacks against critics, red-tagging, and blanket denial of allegations that the funds had been spent inappropriately."

The complainants also cited the testimony of Ramil "Ram" Madriaga, one of Duterte's reported intelligence operatives and campaign operators who founded the Inday Sara is My President (ISIP) Movement.

They said that Madriaga submitted an affidavit dated Nov. 29, 2025 which said that "large sums of money taken from Duterte's confidential funds at the OVP and the DepEd" were delivered to several persons under her instructions.

They added that Duterte "actually converted and diverted the subject confidential funds for their own personal use, contrary to the actual purposes for which the same was earmarked and/or purportedly disbursed."

Even during her stint as Davao City mayor from June 30, 2010 to June 30, 2013; June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2019; and June 30, 2019 to June 30, 2022, the complainants claimed that Duterte "squandered the scandalous amount of P2.735 billion."

Throughout her three-year term as mayor, Duterte sought "progressively larger and larger amounts of CF," the complainants alleged.

They also claimed that in 2024, Duterte attempted to request for P500 million and P150 million CIF for the OVP and P150 million for DepEd.

"Were it not for the timely interventions of the leadership of Congress, which shot down respondent's dubious requests, her pattern of abuse and squandering of public funds would have continued unabated," the complainants said.

They also alleged that when Duterte left DepEd, the department had over P12 billion worth of disallowances, suspensions, and charges.

"The apparent failure of the DepEd under the leadership of respondent to comply with relevant laws on the handling of public funds must be scrutinized to confirm if she, in fact, adheres to her own prescription and admonition that 'leaders should not be motivated by cash,'" they said.

The complainants said that when Duterte left DepEd there was nearly P7 billion in unliquidated cash advances and P15.4 billion unutilized funds in 2023. The "rigged bidding" of laptops and other electronic devices for DepEd was also pointed out.

The complainants also accused Duterte of amassing ill-gotten wealth and engaging in money laundering involving more than P111 million, which was deposited to her personal accounts, and more than P2.4 billion deposited to an account she held jointly with her father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, and husband lawyer Manases "Mans" Carpio from 2007 to 2015.

Despite the Duterte family's strong stance against illegal drugs, Trillanes and the other complainants accused them of engaging in bribery and the unexplained receipt of hundreds of millions of funds from known drug personalities such as Samuel Uy and Michael Yang.

"Both Michael Yang and Samuel Uy have also been publicly named by SPO4 Arturo Lascañas, a self-confessed leader of the Davao Death Squad (DDS) who has been admitted as a witness by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Extra-Judicial Killings (EJK) case against former Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte, as being involved in the operations of shabu laboratories in Davao City," the complainants alleged.

Also questioned by the complainants was the Vice President’s acquisition of hundreds of firearms, which Trillanes and the complaints suspect is for a "private army," as well as the defense and coddling of fugitive pastor Apollo Quiboloy, a person indicted of human trafficking, sex trafficking of minors, and child abuse.

Thus, Trillanes -- together with complainants Jocelyn Marie Acosta, Margaret Corazon Aquino, Ruby Anne Gonzales, Lucilyn Mersado, Casilda Guevarra, Epifanio Ramirez Jr., Annie Bartolome, Gay Benueza, and Evelyn Abella -- wants Duterte impeached from office as they believe that she, with her "mental fitness, capacity, and moral character," is not fit to continue serving the country as Vice President.