FACT CHECK: Nadine Lustre did not file an impeachment complaint vs Sara Duterte

Claim: Actress Nadine Lustre filed an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, alongside her partner, Christophe Bariou, and Mamamayang Liberal Representative Leila de Lima.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The February 16 post by TikTok user “Trend_pinass” has already reached around 59,000 views, 426 likes, and 193 comments as of writing. The account has also repeatedly posted false or misleading political claims.

The post features a supposed news card showing Lustre, Bariou, and De Lima holding what appear to be official documents. The image is placed over photos of a rally, which included placards calling for Duterte’s impeachment. Together, these create the impression that the three formally submitted an impeachment complaint against the Vice President.

The facts: There is no official record showing Lustre filed an impeachment complaint against Duterte. The actress is not among the complainants in any of the four complaints filed against the Vice President in the latest impeachment drive against her.

Altered context: The image used in the TikTok post is a cropped and edited photo that originated from a February 10 post uploaded on De Lima’s official Facebook page. 

The original photo showed Lustre, Bariou, and other animal welfare and environmental advocates joining De Lima as the lawmaker filed legislative measures related to their advocacies. 

These include House Bill No. 7696 or the Animal Welfare Enforcement Act, House Bill No. 7697 or the Gulay para sa Kalusugan at Kalikasan Act, and House Resolution 748, which calls for a congressional inquiry into the country’s current environmental situation and issues.

On the day of filing, members of the media asked Lustre and De Lima about the impeachment complaints against Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 

Lustre declined to comment on the issue. Meanwhile, De Lima discussed the process and expectations regarding the deliberation of complaints against Duterte.

Complaints against Duterte: Four impeachment complaints were filed against Duterte, two of which — the third complaint filed by clergy members and a fourth filed by lawyer Nathaniel Cabrera — were found to be sufficient in form. Two days later, the House justice committee voted on March 4 to declare the two complaints sufficient in substance.

Two of the complaints did not make it past the preliminary test in the House of Representatives. The first complaint, filed by progressive leaders and endorsed by the Makabayan bloc, was set aside as it allegedly fell within the Constitution’s one-year bar on impeachment. The second complaint, filed by Tindig Pilipinas convenors, was later withdrawn in support of the third complaint filed by the clergy members and endorsed by de Lima.

The allegations cited across these complaints include Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, bribery, unexplained wealth, and threats against the President. – Samantha Uy/Rappler.com

Samantha Ysabel Uy is a Rappler volunteer. She is a third-year Broadcast Media Arts and Studies student at the University of the Philippines Diliman.