We, — staff, members, and constituency — of the Institute for Studies in Asian Church and Culture (ISACC), fully support the ongoing impeachment proceedings in the House of Representatives against Vice President Sara Duterte. We take issue with underhanded efforts to derail the impeachment process by continually surfacing mere technicalities.

The Vice President should appear in the hearings initiated by the House and answer forthrightly the charges against her.

What is now taking place in the ongoing House hearings is precisely in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling in July 25, 2025 that she be given "an opportunity to respond within a reasonable period" on the case prior to its transmittal to the Senate.

The charges filed against the Vice President in this impeachment process are simply too serious to be ignored. She is accused of, among others:

• Misusing PHP612.5 million in confidential funds, of which PHP125 million were spent in a single day;

• Issuing Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) containing huge unexplained wealth discrepancies; and

• Issuing publicly death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

These charges, and the supporting evidence for them, should not be allowed to pass without a comprehensive and thorough investigation.

Far from diverting the time and effort of both governor and governed, this impeachment directly addresses the issue of accountability in handling public funds. Unless transparency and the prosecution of the guilty, whether high or low, becomes the rule and not the exception in this country's governance, the shameless looting of trillions of pesos as in the flood control scandal shall continue.

A Tugon ng Masa survey by OCTA Research showed that seven out of 10, or 69 percent, of all Filipinos, support an impeachment trial against the Vice President. This shows that the people, whether pro or anti-Duterte, want to know once and for all whether the accusations against her are true.

We call on the Vice President to stand by the oath she made to be accountable to our people by appearing at the House investigations and answering the charges filed against her instead of resorting to all sorts of technicalities.

We call on both the House and the Senate to faithfully fulfill their duties and ensure accountability before the law forthwith.

We call on all citizens to watch and see that truth and justice is done without fear or favor. In this and in all matters, let us heed God's call:

Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly (Leviticus 19.15).