Philippines’ Vice President Duterte Faces Fresh Graft Complaint

A group of civilians including two former government officials filed a graft complaint against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte, in a fresh political challenge for the estranged deputy of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The complaint, filed with the Ombudsman’s office on Friday, alleged that Duterte and 15 other officials, misused 612.5 million pesos ($10.4 million) in public funds through “coordinated schemes” implemented across both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which she used to concurrently head until mid-2024, according to a media briefer provided by the complainants. The group claimed Duterte and the other officials committed criminal violations including of the anti-graft law as well as plunder, bribery and malversation.