House prosecution narrows down witnesses in VP's secret funds probe

The House prosecution is aiming to conclude its presentation on the alleged misuse of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds by Wednesday, as it has only five remaining subpoenaed witnesses, according to lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro. In a statement on Sunday, Luistro listed the five remaining witnesses. The impeachment article in question accuses the vice president of misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds—P500 million under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million under the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as education secretary until 2024. The prosecution expects to focus partly on the DepEd funds, which were released in three P37.5-million tranches in 2023. However, the appearance of Edward Fajarda, who served as DepEd’s SDO for the funds, remained uncertain after he suffered a stroke, which was independently confirmed by the Senate Medical and Dental Bureau. Luistro stated that the prosecution is exploring stipulations with Duterte’s defense that could allow it to dispense with Fajarda’s testimony, emphasizing an intention not to aggravate his condition or subject him to the rigors of testifying. Last Wednesday, defense lawyer Michael Wesley Poa, former DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff, and spokesperson, testified that he learned during a 2024 House inquiry that Fajarda had turned over all three P37.5-million confidential fund releases to then-DepEd security officer Col. Dennis Nolasco. Another witness, Grande, is expected to testify on Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) records as the prosecution scrutinizes identities appearing in acknowledgment receipts submitted to support confidential fund liquidations. The prosecution has already presented Commission on Audit auditors, OVP, and DepEd officials, and military officers to the court to trace how the funds were handled and liquidated. Among these witnesses, former OVP SDO Gina Acosta testified that she turned over four P125-million confidential fund tranches to then-security chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica upon Duterte’s instruction. Army officers also testified that their units received no DepEd confidential funds for Youth Leadership Summits and information campaigns cited in military certifications later used by DepEd in responding to COA findings. The prosecution has since dropped Lachica, Nolasco, and Ramil Madriaga—Duterte’s alleged bagman—as witnesses after concluding that the evidence already presented was sufficient for the points it sought to establish. As part of their effort to speed up the trial, prosecutors are also considering whether to proceed with the third impeachment article, which accuses Duterte of bribery, but they have not made a final decision. Information Source: Inquirer NewsInfo