MANILA, Philippines — Veteran lawyer and private counsel for the House prosecution panel Atty. Lorna Kapunan on Tuesday, described the alleged misuse of Vice President Sara Duterte’s P612.5 million in confidential funds as a “scam against the people,” citing audit findings that questioned whether the funds were used for their declared purposes and supported by documentary evidence.
Kapunan made the statement during a break in the testimony of Commission on Audit (COA) auditor Roderick Wamil before the Senate Impeachment Court. The impeachment proceedings involve P500 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million received by the Department of Education (DepEd) while Duterte concurrently served as Education secretary.
“The victims of the scam are the ordinary people. The scam is worth P612 million,” Kapunan told reporters in Filipino, and likened the issue to asking a parent for money to buy books but spending it on makeup or a date instead.
Kapunan said the issue was not the aliases appearing in acknowledgment receipts but whether the confidential funds the reached their intended purpose and subsequently properly accounted for and supported by receipts.
“We aren't emphasizing the names. What we are pointing out is the amount and how it was used. There are no receipts,” she said.
“Regardless of the name involved, where was it used? What is the evidence that it was used for medicines? What is the evidence that it was used for supplies? What is the evidence that it was used for the safe house?” she added.
The lawyer also rejected claims that the vice president was being singled out even though other government agencies receive confidential funds.
“If there is any public official you want investigated regarding confidential funds, file a case against them,” Kapunan said.
Wamil testified that the OVP and DepEd failed to submit documentary evidence supporting several confidential fund payments for the first two quarters of 2023.
He also identified medical and food aid, incentives, and travel-related expenses that he said were outside the authorized uses of confidential funds under Joint Circular No. 2015-01, which governs the allocation, use and audit of confidential and intelligence funds.
