VP Duterte Denies Misuse of Confidential Funds as Witnesses Contradict Claims on Youth Program Funding

Two witnesses from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) testified that no confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) from the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice-President (VP) Sara Duterte-Carpio’s leadership have been used to fund Youth Leadership Summits (YLS) and other educational activities in 2023. At the 20th day of the impeachment trial of Ms. Duterte, AFP Col. Manaros M. Boransing II said the DepEd did not release funds to their agency for the conduct of eight YLS and 53 information education campaigns (IEC) as Ms. Duterte’s defense team presented military activities to justify the use of P15.54 million in confidential funds. “There was no funding released to the 1st Infantry Division from DepEd, of any source,” Mr. Boransing told the Senate impeachment court. The House of Representatives prosecution panel presented as evidence a video of Retired AFP Maj. Gen. Adonis R. Bajao confirming at an impeachment proceeding at the lower chamber that they have not received confidential funds from the Vice-President. House private prosecutor Reynaldo B. Robles asked Mr. Boransing, “How much funding was provided or downloaded to your unit by the DepEd for your conduct of the YLS and IEC activities in 2023?” to which the witness said no funds have been provided by the agency to the AFP’s first infantry division. Mr. Boransing also told the Senate impeachment court that he has only learned at a 2024 House hearing that Ms. Duterte’s office used certification he signed to justify the use of P15.54 million in confidential funds as reward payments. He said that the certification does not cover any expenses by the DepEd for the YLS upon questioning by Senator-Judge Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel. “It does not prove anything regarding the spending of the money. It only states that we conducted the YLS in our area of operation,” Mr. Boransing said. AFP Col. Magtanggol Panopio likewise testified that he only learned that a certification he signed for the conduct of a YLS has been used as a supporting document by Ms. Duterte’s camp to address the Audit Observation Memorandum issued by the Commission on Audit for the Office of the Vice-President. “We learned about it at a Congressional hearing on the confidential funds of the Department of Education,” Mr. Panopio said. “We were a bit shocked because our certification was only to certify the conduct of the YLS, not to certify anything about money or funds.” Mr. Robles said the YLS and IEC have been both longstanding activities conducted by the AFP prior Ms. Duterte’s leadership of the DepEd. “Vice-President Duterte and her subordinates at DepEd misrepresented the purpose and evidentiary value of Col. Boransing’s certification, using proof of independently conducted Philippine Army programs to justify P15.54 million in alleged confidential fund rewards,” Mr. Robles said during the prosecution’s offer of testimony. Defense counsel Lindon Miguel C. Bacquel in response said the prosecution’s offer of testimony are conclusions devoid of any factual or legal basis. Ms. Duterte is facing allegations of confidential funds misuse amounting to P612.5 million, which she has previously denied. The impeachment court will reconvene on Sept. 2 to continue the presentation of the House prosecution panel’s presentation of their 10th witness Michael Wesley T. Poa, Ms. Duterte’s legal counsel and spokesperson for the defense. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel