5 witnesses left in VP secret funds scrutiny – prosec

Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro —INQUIRER file photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution hopes to wrap up its presentation on the alleged misuse of confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte by Wednesday, as it has only five remaining witnesses who have been subpoenaed, according to lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro. In a statement on Sunday, Luistro listed the five remaining witnesses: former Department of Education (DepEd) special disbursing officer (SDO) Edward Fajarda his wife, DepEd Assistant Secretary Sunshine Charry Fajarda Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande Police Maj. Jovelyn Magay Commission on Audit (COA) employee Bresilio Sabaldan among the remaining witnesses The first impeachment article accuses the vice president of misuse, misappropriation,n and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds — P500 million under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million under DepEd during her tenure as education secretary until 2024. Article continues after this advertisement READ: Abante wants Sara Duterte subpoenaed over P612.5-M The prosecution expects to focus this partly on the DepEd funds, which were released in three P37.5-million tranches in 2023. But the appearance of Edward Fajarda, who served as DepEd’s SDO for the funds, remained uncertain after he suffered a stroke, which was independently confirmed by the Senate Medical and Dental Bureau. According to Luistro, the prosecution is exploring stipulations with Duterte’s defense that could allow it to dispense with Fajarda’s testimony. “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 said. Article continues after this advertisement Last Wednesday, defense lawyer Michael Wesley Poa, former DepEd undersecretary, chief of staff, and spokesperson, testified that he learned during a 2024 House inquiry that Fajarda had turned over all three P37.5-million confidential fund releases to then-DepEd security officer Col. Dennis Nolasco. Grande is expected to testify on PSA records as the prosecution scrutinizes identities appearing in acknowledgment receipts submitted to support confidential fund liquidations. Article continues after this advertisement The prosecution has already presented Commission on Audit auditors, OVP, and DepEd officials, and military officers to the court to trace how the funds were handled and liquidated. Among these witnesses, former OVP SDO Gina Acosta testified that she turned over four P125-million confidential fund tranches to then-security chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica upon Duterte’s instruction. Army officers also testified that their units received no DepEd confidential funds for Youth Leadership Summits and information campaigns cited in military certifications later used by DepEd in responding to COA findings. The prosecution has since dropped Lachica, Nolasco, and Ramil Madriaga — Duterte’s alleged bagman — as witnesses after concluding that evidence already presented was sufficient for the points it sought to establish. READ: Bribery rap vs VP Sara Duterte may be dropped to speed up trial Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. As part of their effort to speed up the trial, prosecutors are also considering whether to proceed with the third impeachment article, which accuses Duterte of bribery, but they have not made a final decision. /atm