Impeachment Trial of VP Duterte: Fictitious Recipients of Funds to be Key Issue

The House prosecution in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is set to focus on the issue of fictitious recipients for P612.5 million in confidential funds, as key questions arise about who actually received the money if the listed individuals are not real. Representative Terry L. Ridon stated that "Mary Grace Piattos" and "Milky Secuya" are among the names that will be scrutinized when the prosecution begins presenting evidence on July 22. Ridon emphasized that the defense must explain who received the confidential funds if the supposed recipients turn out to be fictitious. He revealed that the prosecution will present records from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) indicating no birth, marriage, or death records for individuals like Piattos and Secuya. Additionally, a handwriting expert from the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will testify on the similarities in signatures across different recipient names on acknowledgment receipts. The prosecution also plans to present findings from the Commission on Audit (COA), including a notice of disallowance for P73.287 million in confidential expenses by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022, which has reportedly become final at the COA Proper level. The evidence aims to help the Senate impeachment court determine if the confidential funds were lawfully spent or constituted a betrayal of public trust. The prosecution has already completed its presentation on the impeachment article concerning Duterte's alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez.