MANILA, Philippines — House prosecutors will begin presenting evidence on Wednesday to support the impeachment charge accusing Vice President Sara Duterte of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds when the Senate impeachment court resumes trial proceedings.
Rep. Joel Chua, the lead House prosecutor for the first article of impeachment, said the prosecution is prepared to present documents, witnesses and other evidence supporting the allegation against Duterte.
“This is where the truth comes out. This is not just a matter of mere allegations. We will present the documents, the witnesses and the evidence before the impeachment court,” Chua said in a statement on Tuesday.
The first impeachment article accuses Duterte of misusing P612.5 million in confidential funds while serving as vice president and education secretary.
Chua, who also chairs the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, led the committee’s 2024 investigation into the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
The inquiry examined the release, withdrawal, disbursement and liquidation of the funds and uncovered alleged irregularities, including acknowledgment receipts bearing the names of supposed recipients whose identities could not be verified. The committee’s findings later became part of the basis for the impeachment complaints against Duterte.
The prosecution is expected to present former Land Bank of the Philippines branch managers Violeta Constantino of the Shaw Boulevard branch and Nenita Camposano of the Department of Education branch as its first witnesses. They are expected to testify on the processing, documentation and withdrawal of the confidential funds cited in the impeachment complaint.
The Senate impeachment court also subpoenaed Marivic Pareja, chief of the House Legislative Archives, Museum and Management Service, to produce official House records related to the impeachment proceedings.
Last week, House prosecutors completed presenting evidence on the fourth impeachment article, which alleges Duterte threatened President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
