Palace to VP Sara Duterte: Prove veracity of OVP confi fund recipients

Vice President Sara Duterte must prove if the supposed recipients of confidential funds from her office are existing, Malacañang said Wednesday.

This as more names of the supposed recipients were revealed over the weekend by House Deputy Majority Leader Francisco Paolo Ortega V.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro underscored that Duterte, who is in The Netherlands, should not forget her duty with Filipinos, stressing that she should continue to work for them.

''Kung ito man po ay nadiskubre po, siguro po paigtingin pa po talaga ang pagiimbestiga patungkol po dito, kasi karapatan po ng taumbayan malaman kung saan po talaga ginagasta ang pera, ang pondo ng bayan, ang kaban ng bayan, kung saan po nadadala,'' Castro said.

(If these have been discovered, there's a need to strengthen the investigation regarding this because the public needs to know how the funds were utilized.)

''Kung iyan naman po ay nadiskubre po, dapat rin pong mapatunayan kasi as of the moment, sasabihin pa rin po natin may presumption of regularity patungkol diyan. Pero since nakukuwestiyon nga po ito, dapat lamang pong patunayan ni VP Sara kung ang mga resibong ito ay totoo o hindi,'' she added.

(This should be proven even if we say that there's a presumption of regularity. Since this is being questioned, VP Sara needs to prove if the receipts are true or not.)

VP duties

Castro said she understands the sentiments of the Vice President Duterte whose father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, is in The Hague Penitentiary as he faces charges of crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court.

''Tingin ko dapat isipin po niya na kailangan po siya ng Pilipinas bilang Bise Presidente. Siya po dapat ay nagtratrabaho hindi lang para sa kanyang ama although acceptable po at maiintindihan natin sa ngayon ang kanyang nararamdaman pero tandaan din po niya, sinasabi niya po milyon na Pilipino ang bumoto sa kanya at kailangan din po niyang pagsilbihan ito,'' she said.

(For me, she needs to think that the Philippines also needs her as vice president. She should work not just for her father, but we understand her sentiments for now. But she should also remember that millions of Filipinos voted for her and she must serve them all.)

GMA News Online has reached the Vice President's camp for its comment on the matter but it has yet to reply as of posting time.

Jay Kamote, Miggy Mango

Over the weekend, Ortega revealed the names of the supposed recipients of confidential funds, including a "Jay Kamote" and a "Miggy Mango." The rest of the new names are Dodong Alcala, Dodong Bina, Dodong Bunal, Dodong Darong, and Dodong S. Barok.

Ortega had said this could be utilized to strengthen the impeachment case against the Vice President.

Following the elder Duterte's arrest, the Office of the President had issued a travel authority for the Vice President to travel to The Netherlands, among other countries. Sara was able to visit her father.

To recall, the Department of Education, which Duterte led at the time, and the Office of the Vice President (OVP) had submitted documents with allegedly wrong dates, signatures without names of signatories, and unreadable names of signatories to justify the disbursement of its confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

Among the signatories was “Mary Grace Piattos,” who has no record with the Philippine Statistics Authority. 

Volunteer lawyers

Meanwhile, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco on Wednesday defended the role of volunteer lawyers assisting the prosecution panel in Duterte's impeachment trial.

Velasco made the remark following his inspection of the Senate facilities where the impeachment trial proper will be held.

In a statement, Velasco said these volunteer lawyers are "not merely driven by anger, as some have suggested."

"[The volunteer lawyers] are dedicated to the cause of justice and public service. Many of them have extensive experience working with public prosecutors and have a deep understanding of the law," Velasco said.

"Their involvement is a testament to their commitment to upholding accountability and the rule of law," he added.

The House secretary general also clarified that law firm DivinaLaw is not assisting the lower chamber's prosecution panel.

"The legal team assisting our impeachment prosecutors is composed of seasoned professionals who are committed to ensuring that due process is followed."

In February, the House of Representatives impeached Duterte, with 215 congressmen endorsing the verified complaint against her. The Articles of Impeachment were transmitted to the Senate on the same day, but the upper chamber adjourned without addressing the case.

Meanwhile, Duterte has filed a Supreme Court petition challenging the validity of the impeachment complaint.

Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero said the decision on Duterte's impeachment trial could be rendered by October this year. — with a report from Mariel Celine Serquiña/ RSJ/ VDV, GMA Integrated News