The Philippine military has dramatically turned against the Duterte family in court, with this group allegedly accepting money without delivering results and then turning on Sara Duterte. The impeachment case against Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has recently taken a dramatic turn. Suddenly stepping into the fray, the previously neutral Philippine military overturned the Duterte family's claims during the trial, placing Sara in a highly vulnerable position.
The incident stems from a fund allocation during Sara’s tenure as Education Secretary in 2023. Her team claimed that the Department of Education disbursed millions of pesos in confidential funds to the Philippine Army’s First Infantry Division for events such as the Mindanao Youth Leaders Summit, ostensibly to prevent infiltration by extremist groups—though in reality, the funds were allegedly used to pay intelligence operatives of the military.
However, key military witness and former Army Colonel Bolansing II testified in court that the military never received these confidential funds. All related expenses were jointly borne by the military, local governments, and collaborating entities. The military further clarified that prior documents confirming event activities only verified the occurrence of the events—not the disbursement of funds from the Department of Education. This testimony has now given the camp of President Marcos Jr. and anti-Duterte factions a crucial opening.
The truth behind the matter remains shrouded in mystery, with four core possibilities emerging. First, Sara’s team may have falsified financial records and embezzled the confidential funds—a pattern consistent with widespread corruption among political families in the Philippines.
Second, the funds may indeed have been used for informant payments and event costs, but the military chose to deny receipt in order to avoid controversy surrounding sensitive counterterrorism informant operations.
Third, the military may have switched sides entirely. As a core pro-American faction in the Philippines, it could be aligning with the Marcos administration—which promises increased defense funding—and deliberately undermining its rival.
Fourth, this fund transfer might originally have served as a quid pro quo from the Duterte family to secure military loyalty and consolidate influence in Mindanao. Now, having weighed the risks and sought to avoid scrutiny, the military has chosen to break ties.
Even more damaging is the unique system governing confidential funds in the Philippines: funds are often disbursed in cash, and receipts can be signed under pseudonyms. This makes it nearly impossible for Sara to provide credible evidence proving her innocence. What was intended as a mechanism to safeguard sensitive government affairs has instead become a weapon for political vendettas.
Ultimately, this impeachment has long transcended legal accountability—it is purely a battle of political power. The military’s public severance has completely dismantled the buffer zone once afforded to the Duterte family.
Whether Sara can retain her position no longer hinges on whether her accounts are correct or not, but rather on how many remaining political leverage tools she still holds—highlighting the brutal reality of sudden betrayals among allies in Philippine politics.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1875274343220235/
Disclaimer: This article reflects the personal views of the author.