Confidential Funds Allegations Take Center Stage in Impeachment Trial

MANILA, Philippines — Allegations of misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds are set to become the longest and most scrutinized article in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, as the prosecution plans to meticulously trace the money trail from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Prosecutors have allocated at least 31 of their 62 trial dates to Article I, which concerns P500 million from the OVP and P112.5 million from the DepEd. "There are so many documents involved in this... We have many witnesses whose testimony needs to be heard to explain the whole process," said House prosecution legal spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. The prosecution aims to present evidence showing the entire lifecycle of the funds, from cash advances to alleged diversions, and the subsequent liquidation and audit findings by the Commission on Audit (COA), which eventually ordered P448 million to be returned. Senator-judges will also deliberate on whether to subpoena tax records, bank accounts, and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents of Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio. Malacañang has stated that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has not received any request to authorize the opening of sealed BIR documents. The prosecution's stance is that a subpoena does not require presidential approval, but they will comply if the impeachment court rules otherwise. The presentation of evidence on confidential funds is expected to commence as early as Wednesday, following the conclusion of the examination of the last prosecution witness on the grave threats charge. Key witnesses for the confidential funds article include the chief of House archives and former branch managers of Land Bank who handled the accounts where the controversial funds moved. The prosecution may present evidence such as acknowledgment receipts with alleged recipient names and Philippine Statistics Authority records indicating discrepancies in the birth, marriage, or death records of these individuals. Regarding a potential "star witness" who claims to have handled significant amounts of OVP confidential funds, the prosecution stated they are not relying on any single individual, emphasizing the importance of presenting documentary evidence first. Information source: Philstar Nation