VP Duterte Impeachment Trial: Bank Managers to Testify

House prosecutors will present three witnesses next week in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte concerning the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds. The witnesses include former branch managers Violeta Constantino and Nenita Camposano of the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines. The Senate impeachment court, through presiding officer Francis Escudero, had previously authorized the prosecution to call Marivic Pareja of the House Legislative Archives and Museum Management Service to identify and authenticate records from earlier congressional proceedings. Constantino headed the Land Bank-Shaw Boulevard branch, while Camposano led the bank’s branch inside the Department of Education (DepEd) main office. Both are directed to appear before the Senate impeachment court on July 29. Their testimonies will focus on the alleged misuse, misappropriation, and irregular disbursement of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the DepEd, when Duterte served as education secretary from mid-2022 to mid-2024. This is under Article I of the Articles of Impeachment filed by the House, which commenced trial on July 6. The prosecution has been allotted 30 trial days. The defense will have the opportunity to cross-examine witnesses, challenge documents, and present its own evidence. Pareja's testimony will cover records from previous House committee investigations, including transcripts and recordings relevant to the confidential funds allegations. Prosecutors reminded Sen. Robinhood Padilla that their role is to advocate for the case, not to be neutral, emphasizing that the senators sitting as judges are expected to maintain neutrality. Lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro clarified that the impeachment trial is adversarial, with the prosecution tasked with prosecuting Duterte and the defense responsible for proving her innocence. Law professor and litigation expert Howard Calleja advised that both the public and senators should approach the trial with an open mind when weighing the evidence presented against the Vice President.