VP's secret funds allegedly used against Reds; Senator questions COA testimony

MANILA, Philippines — Senators allied with Vice President Sara Duterte questioned the testimony of Roderick Wamil of the Commission on Audit (COA), with minority member Robinhood Padilla even claiming that the confidential funds were spent to quash communist rebellion. During his interjection on Day 13 of the trial on Wednesday, Padilla did not ask a question and instead confronted Wamil about three checks for the disbursement of confidential funds, said to have been misused by the Vice President. Padilla claimed that these checks – P125 million dated Dec. 20, 2022, P125 million for Jan. 31, 2023, and P125 million for April 18, 2023 – were near key anniversary dates of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), National Democratic Front (NDF) and New People’s Army (NPA). Padilla said the following are communist anniversary dates – the CPP founding anniversary is Dec. 26, the NPA founding anniversary is March 29, and the NDF “golden anniversary” is April 24. He implied that the Vice President’s confidential funds were used to prevent any communist attacks during those dates. “I mentioned this because all these dates – Dec. 26, March 29, April 24 – all this, there was no attack. All were foiled. None. For the first time, there was no attack. Because every founding anniversary, there’s an attack,” Padilla said, without citing his basis. After Wamil said he has no personal knowledge about the use of confidential funds to thwart communist attacks, Padilla said even the Department of Education (DepEd) – which Duterte previously helmed – has a role in thwarting communism because of the Reds’ recruitment in schools. “We know that DepEd, from DepEd, it is the origin of what we call, in the Communist Party, we have what we call pangkat-gerilya and pangkat-political,” Padilla said in explaining communist recruitment in schools. “The pangkat-political, it is those students that come from universities,” he said. Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano asked the witness about why the COA auditor is presuming that the Vice President “pocketed” the confidential funds just because these were not properly liquidated. Wamil explained that their Joint Circular on secret funds explicitly states that there is presumption of personal use or gain if the secret funds were not properly liquidated. When Cayetano called it a “disputable presumption,” Wamil said for COA, it is a “prima facie presumption.” Cayetano said this only means that the burden to prove there is wrongdoing is on the prosecution. He also questioned the prosecution’s legal theory that the Vice President pocketed her confidential funds just because these were not properly liquidated. Sen. Imee Marcos said the special disbursing officers – not the Vice President – should have been the “accountable officers” in charge of the confidential funds based on the COA’s Joint Circular 2015-01. Wamil said Sen. Marcos was incorrect, because under the circular it is the Vice President as “head of the agency” who is responsible for the cash advances, the utilization oversight, and documentary compliance. This only bolsters the prosecution’s theory that the Vice President herself misused the confidential funds for personal benefit, Wamil said. Meanwhile, Duterte said yesterday that the case of her father former president Rodrigo Duterte could be used by US President Donald Trump as an example to show that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is a “biased political organization.” The Vice President said she does not know if Trump’s campaign against the ICC could help in the release of her father. The US is not a member of the ICC. – Evelyn Macairan