MANILA, Philippines — Prosecutors of the House of Representatives alleged that a similar system for handling confidential funds followed Vice President Sara Duterte from the Davao City government to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
The prosecution presented its Article I case involving the alleged misuse, misappropriation and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds — P500 million under the OVP and P112.5 million under DepEd.
Former Rep. Ace Barbers said the prosecution was examining former Davao City officials who later joined Duterte at the OVP and DepEd, including Zuleika Lopez, Lemuel Ortonio, Gina Acosta and Sunshine Fajarda.
Acosta, a former Davao City special disbursing officer who later handled OVP funds, testified that she turned over confidential-fund cash to security personnel. She also said she handed P500 million in OVP cash to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica on Duterte’s instruction.
The prosecution said a similar turnover occurred in DepEd transactions, where Fajarda encashed P112.5 million and the funds were linked to Col. Dennis Nolasco.
Prosecutors also cited PSA findings involving 2,669 names in the OVP and DepEd confidential-fund records, including 1,685 with no matching birth, marriage or death records.
Military witnesses testified that their units did not receive DepEd confidential funds for activities cited in liquidation documents, while former DepEd undersecretary Michael Wesley Poa said he had no personal knowledge of the actual confidential-fund operations.
Barbers said the prosecution was seeking to establish who directed the transactions, not merely who handled the cash.
“In a scam, one person can withdraw the money, another can carry the bag and another can prepare the paperwork. But what must be identified is the scammer who directed the operation,” he said.
The prosecution will begin presenting its evidence on Article II, which accuses Duterte of unexplained wealth, on Monday.
