Certification by Sara Duterte's security no proof confi funds used for info gathering

The certification issued by the former security chief of the Vice President Sara Duterte that no untoward incident occurred from December 20 to 31, 2022 does not prove that OVP’s confidential fund was used for successful information gathering or surveillance activities, state auditor and lawyer Roderick Wamil said Wednesday.

Wamil made the testimony when asked by Senator-Judge and Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian as to why such the certification issued by Colonel Raymund Lachica of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group does not make the OVP compliant with Joint Circular 2015-01, which governs the use of confidential and intelligence fund.

“Since we based our findings kung ano po 'yung wordings ng Joint Circular, ang tinitignan namin ‘yung causal link between the successful information gathering and surveillance activities vis-a-vis 'yung information given by the informer,” Wamil said during Day 13 of the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

“Hindi po [sapat iyong Lachica certification]. Kasi hindi pinakita diyan, Your Honor, na ‘yung naging result [ng confidential fund spending] ay dahil sa information na binigay nong informant. Iyon ang gusto naming makita,” he added.

Wamil is a prosecution witness for Article 1, which accuses the Vice President of committing impeachable offenses due to systematic, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to P500 million released to the OVP and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education (DepEd) during her tenure as Education chief. —AOL, GMA News