MANILA, Philippines — Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co on Tuesday said Vice President Sara Duterte should testify before the impeachment court to explain alleged irregularities in the use of confidential funds under her watch.
Co said the alleged misuse of confidential intelligence funds (CIF) could not have happened without a system involving agency personnel, echoing the prosecution’s position that Duterte, as head of the agencies concerned, should account for the questioned spending.
“The flow of the CIF ‘scam’ was not ordinary,” Co said, citing testimony that allegedly showed a system designed to conceal the trail of public funds.
She also pointed to alleged fictitious names, a one-year-old listed as a CIF recipient, questionable signatures and “unreasonable” explanations for the disbursements.
Co said Duterte’s authority as vice president and former Education secretary placed responsibility on her to explain the alleged irregularities.
“She should testify before the impeachment court because she is the only one who can explain her SALN and bank records,” Co said.
The Kabataan spokesperson also challenged Duterte’s continued refusal to testify, invoking the 2012 impeachment trial of then-Chief Justice Renato Corona as an example of an impeached official taking the witness stand.
“Not only the prosecution but the people want Sara to testify,” Co said.
