House Committee Appears to Lay Groundwork for Possible Duterte Impeachment

In a series of explosive hearings, the House of Representatives Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability has appeared to take steps that could lead to the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The committee is investigating allegations of financial irregularities and potential ethical breaches within the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure as the agency’s secretary.

A key witness, former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Jumamil Mercado, delivered damning testimony on Wednesday, September 25, accusing Duterte’s office of improper practices and coercive behavior.

Mercado claimed she was regularly handed envelopes of cash while serving as the Head of Procuring Entity (HOPE) for DepEd under Duterte’s leadership.

According to Mercado, the cash deliveries were made monthly between February and September 2023 by Assistant Secretary Sunshine Fajarda, purportedly at Duterte’s direction.

“Between February 2023 and September 2023, I received a total of nine envelopes labeled ‘HOPE,’ my concurrent position in DepEd during that time,” Mercado testified. “These envelopes were handed to me monthly by Assistant Secretary Fajarda, which she said came directly from the office of Vice President Sara Duterte.”

When pressed by lawmakers about whether the money was intended as a bribe or “payola,” Mercado stopped short of directly labeling it as such. “Those words are not part of my vocabulary,” she said, but added that the envelopes “could be” an attempt to influence her decisions as HOPE.

Mercado also recounted an encounter with former DepEd Assistant Secretary Reynold Munsayac, who allegedly suggested that bidders for a DepEd computerization project should collude to prevent the failure of the bidding process. She said that when she objected and insisted on following procurement rules, she was soon after asked to resign by Zuleika Lopez, Vice President Duterte’s chief-of-staff.

“In the 3rd or 4th week of October [2023], I was summoned by Ms. Lopez and told to tender my resignation, effective immediately,” Mercado told the committee. “I firmly believed that my insistence on adhering to procurement guidelines was the reason I was pushed out.”

Mercado’s testimony coincides with broader criticisms of DepEd under Duterte’s leadership, particularly its handling of the DepEd Computerization Program (DCP). The Commission on Audit (COA) had flagged the department for low budget utilization, with only P2.18 billion of an allocated P11.36 billion spent on computers, laptops, and other equipment. Lawmakers, including Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro, expressed concern over the department’s inefficiency, noting the adverse effects on students’ performance in international assessments.

Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo raised further questions about DepEd’s claims, pointing out inconsistencies in the department’s reporting of the delivery of ICT packages. While DepEd Director Ferdinand Pitagan said 44,638 packages were procured, Quimbo noted that actual deliveries to schools remained far below this figure.