Sara Duterte's confidential funds case echoes fertilizer scam: Joel Chua

House Prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua on Saturday likened the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte over her alleged misuse of confidential funds to the fertilizer fund scam during the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. The fertilizer fund scam was among the major corruption controversies that hounded the Arroyo administration. It involved allegations that P728 million intended for fertilizer assistance to farmers was diverted to questionable projects and beneficiaries. "If you remember the fertilizer scam, there were funds. The government's fertilizer program was a good one. We really need a program to support our crops. But once funds are released and no one can account for where they went, it is like having ghost fertilizer," Chua said during the Saturday News Forum. Article I of the Articles of Impeachment accuses Duterte of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds. Allegations surrounding Duterte's use of confidential funds have persisted for years, prompting the House of Representatives to conduct an inquiry into the matter in 2024. During the House investigation, lawmakers found that the Office of the Vice President had issued acknowledgment receipts bearing several questionable names, including "Mary Grace Piattos"—a name that, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority, does not correspond to any registered individual. Chua, however, said the use of aliases or fictitious names on acknowledgment receipts is not necessarily illegal in transactions involving confidential funds. He explained that the Commission on Audit should still be provided with a sealed document identifying the actual recipients. The impeachment trial will resume on Monday, August 3, with the House prosecution expected to present two Commission on Audit state auditors and a House records custodian as witnesses. — MCG, GMA News