Metro Manila, Philippines – A witness declared by the Impeachment Court as uncooperative said Sara Duterte had full control over the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) use of ₱500 million in confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.
The prosecution panel grilled OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio on Tuesday, Aug. 25, who was asked point blank by private lawyer Mae Divinagracia if Duterte was the “architect and mastermind” behind the questionable use of the funds as her signature appeared on all documents pertaining to their liquidation.
“Siya ang architect ng buong ito [She is the architect of this whole thing],” Divinagracia said, referring to Duterte.
Defense counsel Kristine Ferrer objected to the language because of its suggestive nature. Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero sustained the objection and reframed the question himself.
“Lahat ng bagay kaugnay sa confidential fund, mula sa pag-request, sa pag-release, sa pag-encash, sa pag gastos, sa pag-liquidate, sa pagsagot sa mga AOM [audit observation memorandum], notice of suspension, at notice of disallowance ay una, nalalaman ng pangalawang pangulo; pangalawa, inawtorisa niya base sa mga pirma niya sa iba’t ibang dokumento; at pangatlo, ay nasa ilalim ng kanyang (Duterte) supervision bilang head of agency. Would that be an accurate statement?” Escudero asked Ortonio.
[Translation: All the matters pertaining to confidential funds from request, releasing, encashment, spending, liquidation, answering AOMs, notice of suspension, and notice of disallowance are first, matters the vice president knows about; second, under her authorization because her signatures are on different documents; and third, under her supervision as head of agency. Would that be an accurate statement?]
Ortonio affirmed, saying Duterte knew about the confidential activities and their implementation.
Escudero pressed further, asking Ortonio if he had taken any action related to the handling of confidential funds outside the scope of Duterte’s oversight. He said he did not.
OVP ex-special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, the first hostile witness before Ortonio, previously testified that Duterte authorized actions on confidential funds, including the disbursement of ₱125M to former Duterte chief security officer Col. Raymund Lachica.
READ: Acosta to Impeachment Court: Duterte ordered release of ₱125M to security officer Lachica
Acosta and Ortonio admitted that they encashed four checks each amounting to ₱125 million from the Land Bank of the Philippines Shaw Boulevard branch and stashed these in gym bags.
What did Duterte do with the funds?
Previous witnesses from the Commission on Audit (COA) confidential fund unit testified that Duterte spent the money for events she would personally attend, including Christmas parties and tree planting.
Part of it was spent to secure the vice president even though her regular office budget already has an item for 473 police and military personnel under the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG), a point raised by Divinagracia.
Citing explanations from Acosta and Lachica, Ortonio said the confidential funds were disbursed directly to informants and agents nationwide who would then directly purchase medicine and food supplies for themselves.
“It’s the acknowledgement receipt which is the proof of the release of the funds to the informants or the agents,” Ortonio testified, referring to some of the documents which bear questionable names such as Mary Grace Piattos, Renan Piatos, Pia Piatos-Lim, and Xuniso P. Belat.
The prosecution pointed out on Monday, Aug. 24, that the OVP did not provide official receipts, only acknowledgment receipts, to liquidate spending for medicine and food.
In one case, Ortonio admitted that he shelled out ₱150,000 from his pocket to augment the OVP’s ₱125-million confidential fund when Lachica made an urgent request for cash.
The amount was not included in the OVP accomplishment report to the Commission on Audit. State auditor Roderick Wamil earlier testified of a discrepancy of ₱150,000 in his personal tabulation.
