Sara Duterte trial: OVP confidential funds request came before written plan
MANILA, Philippines – The prosecution flagged Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for P125 million in confidential funds in 2022, made before her office even came up with a written plan.
This was confirmed by Lemuel Ortonio, assistant chief of staff at the Office of the Vice President (OVP), during private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia’s direct examination of the hostile witness on Tuesday, August 25.
Based on the timeline, the OVP wrote to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on August 22, 2022, requesting for P250 million for confidential spending, since Leni Robredo, her predecessor whose office prepared the agency’s budget in 2022, did not ask for such funds.
On September 15 that year, the DBM sought additional documents from the OVP, including a physical and financial plan (PFP). Duterte wrote the PFP only on September 16, the same day the OVP designated Colonel Raymund Lachica as its security officer.
The 2015 joint circular governing the use of confidential funds states that all confidential fund allocations should be supported by a PFP.
The OVP only submitted the additional documents on September 19, 2022, after which the DBM released half of the requested amount — or P125 million — on December 13, 2022.
The funds were encashed by the OVP in December 2022 and used up within 11 days. The Commission on Audit later disallowed P73 million of the P125 million.
“Hindi plano ang nagtakda ng halaga. Ang halaga ang nauna, ‘tsaka [inihabol] ang plano (The amount was not dictated by a plan. The amount came first, and then they rushed to write a plan),” Divinagracia said.
Uniform spending
The OVP received a total of P500 million in confidential funds from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023 — P125 million each per quarter.
The prosecution questioned why the OVP exhausted the amount each time, despite variations in its number of areas for surveillance covered, and period of days.
For example, after state auditors flagged in October 2023 the P40 million in medicine and food expenses by the OVP in 2022, the accomplishment report of the office for the third quarter of 2023 removed the line on medical and food expenses but kept the confidential expenses at a full P125 million.
Ortonio also said the medicine and food supplies were purchased by informants.
The prosecution sought to establish that Duterte could not claim ignorance of the confidential activities. Divinagracia confirmed with Ortonio that the vice president requested the funds, decided the amount, approved the release of disbursement vouchers, and signed liquidation reports and certifications.
It will be the defense team’s turn to cross-examine Ortonio on Wednesday, August 26. – Rappler.com
