Sara Duterte impeachment: LandBank execs call OVP, DepEd cash withdrawals 'unusual'

The House prosecution panel has formally started deliberations on Article 1 of the Articles of Impeachment pertaining to the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte. The prosecution presented two former LandBank branch managers as witnesses on Wednesday. They are Violeta Constantino of the bank's Shaw Boulevard branch, and Nenita Camposano of the Department of Education (DepEd) branch. Constantino testified on the encashment of four checks amounting to P125 million each, or P500 million in total, by Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta between December 2022 and July 2023. Camposano, on the other hand, testified on the encashment of three checks worth P37.5 million each, or P112.5 million in total, by DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda from February to July 2023. Both Constantino and Camposano said the withdrawals of such huge amounts of cash were 'unusual.' This testimony raises further questions about the disbursement of the Vice President's confidential funds. In the Philippines, confidential funds are public monies that are typically subject to strict oversight, and allegations of misuse are considered serious matters affecting public trust.