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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider House panel seeks plunder, technical malversation raps vs VP Duterte, others in confidential funds probe

House panel seeks plunder, technical malversation raps vs VP Duterte, others in confidential funds probe

Published Jun 10, 2025 07:51 pm

At A Glance

  • The House of Representatives adopted on Tuesday night, June 10 the recommendations to file charges of plunder, technical malversation, and bribery--among others--against Vice President Sara Duterte and other personalities in connection with her offices' alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds.
Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)
Vice President Sara Duterte (PPAB)


The House of Representatives adopted on Tuesday night, June 10 the recommendations to file charges of plunder, technical malversation, and bribery--among others--against Vice President Sara Duterte and other personalities in connection with her offices' alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential funds.

The recommendations were contained in Committee Report No.1503, submitted by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability chaired by Manila 3rd district Rep. Joel Chua.

It was the good government panel that conducted in then 19th Congress an investigation in aid of legislation on the alleged misuse of a total of P612.5 million confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd), both under Duterte. 

The 300-plus strong House adopted the committee report during plenary session Tuesday after Chua presented its salient points to his solon-colleagues.

Deputy Speaker Antipolo 1st district Rep. Roberto Puno declared the committee report as adopted following a simple voice vote.

A copy of the 53-page committee report, including its findings and recommendations, was acquired by the Manila Bulletin afterward.

"The filing of criminal, civil, and administrative cases to accountable officers for technical malversation, graft and corruption, and plunder, among others, as follows," read item no.10 of Chua panel's list pf recommendations.

The committee said it recommended the filing of "Plunder under Republic Act No. 7080 against Vice President Duterte, DepEd Officials Mr. Fajarda, Atty. Fajarda, Maj. Gen. Mempin, Lt. Col. Nolasco, Col. Lachica, Usec. Sevilla, , and OVP Officials Atty. Lopez, Mr. Ortonio, Ms. Acosta, Col. Lachica, and John Does, for amassing at least Php 50 million in public funds while the confidential funds misused amounts to Php 612.5 million and the wheel of conspiracy in Arroyo v. People (2016) has been established during the Committee’s hearings."

The filing of "technical malversation under Article 220 of the Revised Penal Code (RPC)" was also sought by the Chua panel "against VP Duterte, SDOs Ms. Acosta and Mr. Fajarda in relation to Article 217 on the presumption of malversation for having used confidential funds for purposes other than for confidential activities".

The investigation also uncovered allegations of Vice President Duterte giving "cash envelopes" to DepEd officials during her tenure as agency secretary from 2022 to 2024. For this, the committee seeks the filing of "bribery under Articles 210 and 211 of the RPC against VP Duterte".

Meanwhile, "Perjury under Article 183 of the RPC against VP Duterte and Ms. Acosta, as the notarized Certification contained a statement that the funds were used for necessary and legal purposes in the relation to the agency’s confidential activities as signed by the Head of Agency and special disbursing officers," was also sought by the panel.

The panel also recommended "stricter penalties for misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds".

It also sought the "conduct of fraud audit by the Commission on Audit (COA) on the subject confidential fund of OVP and DepEd".

The good government panel ended its probe only last June 4.
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