Bishop Backs Philippine Vice President Impeachment Process

Bishop Jose Colin M. Bagaforo urged the public to allow the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte to proceed peacefully and constitutionally, stressing that accountability should not be feared in a democracy.

In a statement released on May 7, Bishop Bagaforo, speaking for the InterReligious Leaders’ Council for National Transformation, said impeachment is “not persecution” but a constitutional mechanism meant to ensure that public officials remain accountable to the people.

“Why should anyone fear due process?” he asked.

Bishop Bagaforo, head of Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue, said the Philippines continues to struggle with public distrust and perceptions of corruption.

He cited the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index of Transparency International, which warned that corruption worsens when democratic institutions are weakened and public officials evade scrutiny.

“At a time when citizens increasingly question the integrity of public institutions, the nation’s highest officials, especially those occupying positions of enormous public trust, must not exempt themselves from accountability,” Bishop Bagaforo said.

“If the Vice President is truly innocent of the allegations raised against her, then this process becomes the proper and honorable avenue for her to clear her name and vindicate herself before the Filipino people,” he said.

The bishop also cited the United Nations Convention against Corruption, which calls on governments to uphold integrity, accountability and transparency in public affairs.

Drawing from Catholic social teaching, he reference Pope Francis’ encyclical Fratelli Tutti, which warned against political cultures that weaken institutions and normalize corruption for the sake of power.

He also cited Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te, saying public officials must recognize accountability “not as a political attack to evade, but a moral obligation owed to the people they serve.”

He urged government institutions, civil society groups and citizens to allow the constitutional process to unfold “peacefully, fairly, and transparently.”

The impeachment complaints against Duterte include allegations involving the use of confidential and intelligence funds, unexplained expenditures, and actions critics described as constituting betrayal of public trust, one of the constitutional grounds for impeachment. Other allegations stem from controversial remarks interpreted by critics as threats against President Bongbong Marcos and other top officials.

Duterte and her allies have denied wrongdoing and described the impeachment efforts as politically motivated. Her supporters have also framed the proceedings as an attempt to destabilize her politically ahead of the 2028 elections.

“Accountability is not political harassment. Justice is not destabilization,” Bishop Bagaforo said. “They are the very foundations upon which public trust and national transformation are built.”