Queen Sara? Prosec eyes Duterte as ‘pawns’ don’t know how CF was used

Prosecution lawyer Atty. Lorna Kapunan (File photo from NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / INQUIRER.net) MANILA, Philippines — Counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan has likened Vice President Sara Duterte to a queen in a chess board. The lawyer thinks the reason why the prosecution will eventually focus on the vice president is because pawns and the other pieces in the board game have not been able to explain how confidential funds (CF) have been used. In her manifestation during Duterte’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, Kapunan compared the CF use of Duterte’s offices to a chess game where the queen appears to be the most important piece. Article continues after this advertisement She explained that this is because the vice president can make different kinds of movements across the board. Similarly, Kapunan said that they are going after Duterte since the personnel called from her offices as witnesses seemed to be like other chess pieces — pawns, bishops, knights and rooks — who always rely on the queen. “In the game chess, we have what we call pawns. There are bishops. There’s a castle. There are horses,” the counsel enumerated. “And the most important piece, more important than the king — and I speak this because not of my gender, but the queen is more important than the king, because the queen can move in many directions, and we have seen that,” she pointed out. “We have seen that in the evidence presented, the pawns […] – the witnesses presented here – from the LandBank, we have been able to show that withdrawal – that there were confidential funds and these were withdrawn from two witnesses,” she noted. Article continues after this advertisement “All of these pawns and castles and horses and bishops point to only one person, and that accountable person is the vice president,” Kapunan concluded. Later on, the prosecution said that it will no longer be presenting other witnesses for Article I, or the allegation of CF misuse within Duterte’s offices, as the team will just ask Duterte later on to answer allegations raised against her. Article continues after this advertisement However, when asked by Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero if the prosecution will seek a subpoena for Duterte, Kapunan said they will not yet ask for one, and will reserve the right to summon the vice president later on. “We will be resting on this article, Your Honor, with the reservation of calling two possible witnesses, two possible witnesses at the end, Your Honor – the vice president herself and, perhaps, an amicus curiae to aid this honorable court on understanding the intent of the drafters of the Constitution on Articles of Impeachment on public officers, and public accountability,” she explained. “The testimony of the vice president will be material to all four articles – the article on grave threats, Article IV; Article I on misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds; Article II on unexplained wealth; and Article III on bribery,” Kapunan identified. “And that is why, at the end of all of these articles, we reserve the right to present the vice president herself,” Kapunan repeated. “But this will be done at the end of the presentation of the four articles.” “And to summarize, there will be no more hearings, Your Honor. Trials on Article I, misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds. And lastly, I would like to thank all the subpoenaed witnesses for today who brave the rains and are here,” she added. With this, Escudero advised the prosecution not to rest its case yet with regards to Article I, so that it can include Duterte’s possible testimonies as part of its evidence. READ: Kapunan: Prosecution panel to call VP Sara Duterte to witness stand A total of twelve witnesses have been presented by the prosecution panel for Article I: Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) department manager Violeta Constantino LandBank department manager Nenita Camposano State auditor Roderick Wamil State auditor Xylene Mae del Campo House Legislative Information Resources Management Director Marivic Pareja Former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta Army Col. Maranos Boransing II Army Col. Magtanggol Panopio OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio Former Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Michael Poa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande Former DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda (stipulated) Constantino and Camposano testified on the withdrawal of CF allocated to OVP from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, and to DepEd for the first three quarters of 2023. Wamil and del Campo, meanwhile, testified as the Commission on Audit – Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO) auditors who checked on OVP and DepEd’s confidential expenditures. Grande was called to ascertain the identity of the weird names who signed acknowledgement reports (ARs) for CF payments made by both OVP and DepEd, like the infamous Mary Grace Piattos. READ: OVP listed tree planting, Christmas party as secret expenses – auditor The other witnesses, meanwhile, were asked about OVP and DepEd’s operations and procedures on confidential expenses. For one, Acosta was asked to testify on where the CF for OVP went — to which she said that Duterte ordered her to hand the funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, former head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG). Ortonio was asked the same thing. Poa, on the other hand, was quizzed regarding the CF utilization by the DepEd, and the decision of Fajarda to hand over the funds to former VPSPG deputy chief Col. Dennis Nolasco. READ: Poa admits he never saw DepEd’s vault for confidential documents Despite their different roles, all three admitted that it is Duterte, along with Lachica for OVP and Nolasco for DepEd, who knew how the secret funds were spent. READ: Asst. chief of staff: Duterte knows, authorized all activities on confi funds The prosecution has finished presenting evidence and witnesses for Article IV or the allegation that Duterte betrayed public trust when she threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Previously, lead public prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said they intend to wrap up discussions for Article I by Wednesday, September 9. But with the development, there will be no trial on Wednesday, with the day being devoted instead to the marking of additional evidence. Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful. With the prosecution wrapping up, for now, Article I, the panel is expected to proceed to Article II or Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth by Monday, September 14. /apl