MANILA — The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio on Monday refused to concede a key allegation in the impeachment trial that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent P125 million in confidential funds within just 11 days in late 2022, directly challenging one of the prosecution’s central claims under Article I of the impeachment complaint.
During the 11th day of the Senate impeachment trial, prosecution counsel Lorna Kapunan sought the defense’s agreement on Commission on Audit (COA) records indicating that the OVP received P125 million in confidential funds on Dec. 20, 2022 and had disbursed the entire amount before the end of the month.
Defense lawyer Michael Poa, however, rejected the proposed stipulation.
“No stipulation,” Poa told the impeachment court.
The defense, however, acknowledged that the OVP had been granted P125 million in confidential funds for 2022, emphasizing that the allocation had been approved by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Kapunan likewise agreed that the confidential fund had been released with the President’s authorization.
The disputed fund utilization is among the allegations under Article I of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Duterte-Carpio of improperly using P612.5 million in confidential funds during her tenure as vice president and secretary of the Department of Education.
The controversy over the OVP’s confidential fund spending first surfaced during congressional deliberations on the Commission on Audit’s proposed 2024 budget in September 2023.
During the House budget hearing, then-Marikina congresswoman Stella Quimbo cited COA records showing that the OVP liquidated the P125 million in only 11 days, correcting an earlier statement that the funds had been spent over 19 days.
“Hindi po ito nagastos within 19 days kundi 11 days po. The liquidation report by OVP was submitted by the OVP [to COA] in January 2023,” Quimbo said during the House budget hearing.
The Commission on Audit later issued a Notice of Disallowance covering P73 million of the P125 million confidential fund, citing alleged violations of the 2015 Joint Circular governing the use of confidential funds.
The Senate impeachment court continues to hear evidence on Article I, which focuses on allegations that Duterte-Carpio improperly utilized P612.5 million in confidential funds during her tenure at both the OVP and the Department of Education./PN
