MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution team of the House of Representatives is entering the final stretch of its presentation of evidence on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, with five witnesses scheduled to testify.
The Senate Impeachment Court will resume the trial with former Department of Education special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, his wife and DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda, Philippine Statistics Authority Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande, police Maj. Jovelyn Magay, and Commission on Audit employee Bresilio Sabaldan as the remaining witnesses.
Article I covers allegations involving the misuse, misappropriation and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds — P500 million for the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million for DepEd during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.
Fajarda, who is recovering from stroke, may be excused from taking the witness stand House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said.
“It is our intention not to aggravate his condition. As a matter of fact, it is likewise our intention to excuse him, if possible, from the rigors of being presented in the witness stand,” she earlier said.
Former DepEd undersecretary and chief of staff Michael Wesley Poa last week testified that he learned during a 2024 House inquiry that Fajarda had said he turned over all three P37.5 million releases to former DepEd security officer Col. Dennis Nolasco.
Grande’s testimony is expected to focus on PSA records used to verify names in acknowledgment receipts submitted for confidential-fund liquidation.
The prosecution has presented COA auditors, OVP and DepEd officials and military officers to trace the handling and liquidation of the funds.
The prosecution team of the House of Representatives is entering the final stretch of its presentation of evidence on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, with five witnesses scheduled to testify.
The Senate Impeachment Court will resume the trial with former Department of Education special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, his wife and DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda, Philippine Statistics Authority Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande, police Maj. Jovelyn Magay, and Commission on Audit employee Bresilio Sabaldan as the remaining witnesses.
Article I covers allegations involving the misuse, misappropriation and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds — P500 million for the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million for DepEd during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.
Fajarda, who is recovering from stroke, may be excused from taking the witness stand House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said.
“It is our intention not to aggravate his condition. As a matter of fact, it is likewise our intention to excuse him, if possible, from the rigors of being presented in the witness stand,” she earlier said.
Former DepEd undersecretary and chief of staff Michael Wesley Poa last week testified that he learned during a 2024 House inquiry that Fajarda had said he turned over all three P37.5 million releases to former DepEd security officer Col. Dennis Nolasco.
Grande’s testimony is expected to focus on PSA records used to verify names in acknowledgment receipts submitted for confidential-fund liquidation.
The prosecution has presented COA auditors, OVP and DepEd officials and military officers to trace the handling and liquidation of the funds.
