ACT-Teachers: Hold erring pols accountable; push VP impeachment

ACT Teachers Party list (Tinio, second from right) is seeking a House reelection bid as they filed their certificate of nomination and acceptance on Sunday, October 6, 2024. —Dianne Raine Sampang/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — ACT-Teachers first nominee Antonio Tinio said on Sunday that the party-list is aiming to hold accountable all erring politicians since the Duterte administration, including pursuing the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Tinio made the pronouncement on the same day the party formalized its bid for a congressional seat in the 2025 elections at the Manila Hotel, the venue for the filing of certificates of candidacy and certificates of nomination and acceptance.

READ: ACT Teachers Party-list files Cona for House reelection

“What we are really calling for is accountability for everyone who needs to be held accountable both in the previous Duterte administration and this present one,” Tinio said in an interview with reporters.

“That includes the impeachment of VP Duterte, as being responsible for the embezzlement of confidential funds.,” he added.

Tinio was referring to Duterte’s alleged misuse of funds in her office (OVP), as well as in the Department of Education, where she was secretary until her resignation on July 19, 2024.

READ: Sara Duterte’s confidential fund spending raises new, more doubts

Incumbent ACT Teachers party-list France Castro—who is now seeking a seat in the Senate—previously stated that the misuse of taxpayer’s money through confidential funds is an impeachable offense.

“ACT-Teachers will definitely be the first to push it, right now if possible, or at least in the next Congress,” said Tinio.

READ: Rep. Castro: Misuse of confidential funds an impeachable offense

Duterte has been under heavy scrutiny amid allegations of her misuse of public funds, as well as for refusing to attend House deliberations on her office’s proposed budget.

When she last attended the deliberations for her office’s budget on August 27, she refused to directly answer lawmakers’ queries and mostly said that the OVP forgoes the opportunity to defend its budget as it leaves the decision to the House.

She also skipped the House inquiry into her alleged misuse of funds, tagging it as “unnecessary” as it was only based on “unsubstantiated allegations.”

According to the Vice President, these allegations—including the calls for impeachment—were merely “political attacks.”