Groups push Sara impeachment, Bato arrest

By Juliane Judilla

Various groups and organizations welcomed the House of Representatives’ endorsement of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Z. Duterte, former Department of Education secretary, on May 12.

For the second time, the House impeached Duterte after 257 members, or more than one-third of the chamber, endorsed the impeachment complaints against her.

The vote sent the case to the Senate, which is constitutionally mandated to sit as an impeachment court.

‘Convict, impeach Sara!’

In response, progressive groups in Iloilo City, led by the Movement Against Tyranny-Panay and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Panay, staged a picket protest outside the Jaro Metropolitan Cathedral, calling for the impeachment proceedings to continue.

“The impeachment of Sara Duterte must proceed without delay. The Senate must not become a sanctuary for political allies nor a shield against accountability,” BAYAN Panay said in a statement.

Grounds for impeachment

The charges against the vice president span several serious allegations, including betrayal of public trust, conspiracy to commit murder, and misuse of confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.

The House also cited corruption, bribery, and the accumulation of unexplained wealth as grounds for impeachment.

Lawmakers claimed that her actions violated the 1987 Constitution and constituted betrayal of public trust, leading to the impeachment vote.

With the resolution in place, the focus now shifts to the Senate trial that will determine Duterte’s fate.

‘Arrest Bato!’

The groups also condemned the alleged cat-and-mouse game involving Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is facing an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over allegations linked to the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war.

The ICC confirmed Monday, May 11, that it had issued an arrest warrant for dela Rosa.

“Ronald dela Rosa must face the legal process now demanded of him — a process denied to thousands of victims of the drug war, many of whom were poor and defenseless,” the group stated.

Dela Rosa surprised the public by showing up at the Senate and alleging that the National Bureau of Investigation had prevented him from entering the session hall.

Dela Rosa is required to appear before Police Lt. Col. Jerome Bargamento of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit at Camp Crame in Quezon City on Thursday, May 14, 2026.

Failure to appear without a valid reason may result in indirect contempt charges.

BAYAN Panay called for the immediate convening of the impeachment court and the swift pursuit of all lawful accountability mechanisms against Duterte, dela Rosa, and all those implicated in corruption and extrajudicial killings.

The group said there should be no more delayed justice for the rich while the majority of Filipinos, especially those in marginalized sectors, continue to bear the brunt of a justice system that favors only those in power.

“We call on workers, farmers, fisherfolk, vendors, jeepney drivers, urban poor communities, youth, professionals, and all freedom-loving Filipinos to reject double standards and stand for genuine justice. Democracy survives only when the powerful are made answerable to the people,” BAYAN Panay added.