OVP, DepEd withdrawal of huge amounts of cash 'unusual' — ex-LandBank managers

The withdrawals of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) of huge amounts of cash amounting to P612.5 million were "unusual," two former LandBank branch managers said Wednesday during the 10th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Prosecution witnesses Violeta Constantino and Nenita Camposano, who were bank managers of Landbank's Shaw Boulevard and DepEd Pasig branches, respectively, both made the remark as they were asked about specific cash releases by the OVP and DepEd under Duterte's leadership.

They testified on Article I of the Articles of Impeachment, which concerns Duterte's alleged misuse of a total of P612.5 million in confidential funds—P500 million from the OVP, and P112.5 million from the DepEd.

Constantino was referring to four checks of P125 million each, which were encashed by OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta between December 2022 and July 2023.

Senator-Judge Erwin Tulfo asked if such transactions by a government agency were considered normal, and if Constantino—who worked in state-run LandBank for 32 years—had ever seen other agencies make similar transactions.

"Wala po. Unusual po ito," Constantino answered.

(None, sir. These were unusual.)

Tulfo further asked if the bank inquired when the withdrawals were made regarding the purpose of the cash.

"Kasi po may advice naman na po siya, so kumbaga dumaan naman po ito sa proseso nila kaya I don't think po na magtanong pa kami," Constantino said.

(There was already an advice, so I guess it went through their process so I didn't think we needed to ask anymore.)

"Wala na pong exemption kaya lang po itong sa particular na transaction ng OVP, bale mayroon naman kasi silang fino-forward na advice sa branch," she added.

(There is no exemption anymore, but for this particular transaction, the OVP already forwarded advice to the branch.)

Confidential funds

Constantino also said she had no idea that the withdrawals would be used for confidential funds.

Senator-Judge Bam Aquino then asked if the branch reported such "unusual" transactions to authorities.

"I'm sorry, Your Honor, may we invoke po 'yung AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council) rule na hindi po kami pwedeng mag-disclose any information po regarding sa reporting," Constantino said.

(I'm sorry, Your Honor, may we invoke the AMLC rule stating that we cannot disclose any information regarding the reporting.)

The former LandBank official, however, affirmed that all transactions of more than P500,000, whether by private individual or government employee, were reported to the AMLC.

Department of Education

Camposano, on the other hand, also described the encashment of checks by former DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, as "unusual."

This was in reference to the three checks worth P37.5 million each—or P112.5 million in total—released to Fajarda from February to July 2023 at the DepEd branch in Pasig City.

Duterte served as secretary of DepEd beginning June 2022 until her resignation in July 2024.

"With LandBank DepEd po, for government agencies, ano siya, unusual po ang amount ang pag-withdraw," Camposano said upon the interjection of Senator-Judge Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan.

(With LandBank DepEd, for government agencies, the amounts withdrawn were unusual.)

She said that for the DepEd LandBank branch, the usual transactions only ranged around P10 million in cash.

Camposano, who worked in LandBank for 34 years, also said it was her first time dealing with P37.5 million cash transactions three times in a year, at least for the DepEd branch.

"Ngayon lang po 'yung time na may encashment na ganu'n kalaki," she said.

(This is the only time there has been such a large encashment.)

Approval process

Camposano likewise said she had no idea that the funds released were for DepEd's confidential funds.

Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros asked Camposano how she ensured, in her role as branch manager, that Duterte approved such transactions.

"Dumaan po kasi 'yan sa DBM (Department of Budget and Management), approved ng DBM po 'yan, na-release po ang pondo ni BTr (Bureau of the Treasury). Mayroon po 'yang advice and pirmado po ng mga authorized signatories ng DepEd," she answered.

(It was processed and approved by the DBM. The funds were released by the BTr. It came with an advice and was signed by DepEd's authorized signatories.) — VDV, GMA News