MANILA, Philippines — A prosecutor of the House of Representatives on Saturday likened the impeachment charge of Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds to the fertilizer fund scam under former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, saying both cases centered on whether public funds reached their intended purpose.
“If you remember the fertilizer scam, there was funding. The government’s fertilizer program was a good program. There really was a need for a program for our crops. But when funds are released and no one can determine where they were used, it’s like ghost fertilizer,” Manila Rep. Joel Chua said.
Chua made the comparison as the House prosecution prepared to present two Commission on Audit officials before the Senate impeachment court om Monday to testify on whether Duterte’s confidential fund disbursements complied with government rules.
Article I of the impeachment complaint accuses Duterte of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds received by the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education between 2022 and 2023.
The fertilizer fund scam involved allegations that about P728 million released by the Department of Agriculture in 2004 for fertilizer assistance was diverted through questionable transactions instead of benefiting farmers, prompting investigations into whether the funds reached their intended recipients.
Chua stressed that the prosecution still has the burden of proving its allegations before the impeachment court, saying it will present witnesses and evidence in the succeeding hearings.
