The Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK) today joined mounting calls to expedite the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte and intensify investigations into alleged corruption in flood control projects, warning that billions of pesos lost to graft represent vital funds stolen from public services at a time of national crisis.
At the House of Representatives, the Committee on Justice is expected to vote on the existence of probable cause in the impeachment complaint. Should one-third of members (103 representatives) support the measure, the complaint may be transmitted directly to the Senate for trial.
Key Revelations in Hearings
During earlier committee hearings, investigators disclosed:
– ₱6.7 billion in suspicious financial transactions linked to Vice President Duterte and her spouse, exceeding declared assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN), according to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
– A zero cash declaration in Duterte’s SALN from 2019 to 2024, contradicted by AMLC findings.
– Acknowledgment receipts for confidential funds allegedly signed by a single individual, based on a National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) report.
KBKK urged citizens to pressure district representatives to vote for immediate transmittal of the complaint to the Senate.
Flood Control Scam Probe
The movement also emphasized the need to sustain investigations into corruption in flood control projects. A case has been filed with the **Ombudsman** against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, who argued that large-scale corruption occurs at the level of project execution under the Executive branch.
KBKK noted that four officials close to Malacañang have resigned or been forced out after being implicated in the controversy.
The group demanded that probes be expanded to determine accountability at the highest levels, including allegations raised by former congressman Zaldy Co, who claimed to have delivered suitcases of cash to President Marcos Jr. Co, recently reported to have been released from custody in the Czech Republic, is being urged to return to the Philippines to clarify his testimony.
Call for Asset Recovery
The group pressed authorities to file civil forfeiture cases to hasten recovery of stolen assets and demanded transparency in the accounting and allocation of recovered funds.
Public Mobilization
“Let us continue to monitor and scrutinize the investigations. Let us persist in pressing the government to accelerate these inquiries and ensure that those behind this appalling corruption—one that worsens the plight of ordinary citizens—are identified and held accountable,” KBKK declared.
The movement concluded with a call for united protest actions to demand accountability from corrupt officials. # (RRN)
