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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Ombudsman asks VP Duterte, 9 other officials to answer charges on 'misuse' of confidential funds

Ombudsman asks VP Duterte, 9 other officials to answer charges on 'misuse' of confidential funds

Published Jun 20, 2025 02:45 pm
The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) has asked Vice President Sara Duterte and nine other officials from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to answer the criminal complaints filed against them on the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
The order dated June 19, 2025 was issued by the OMB’s special panel of investigators.
Aside from Duterte, ordered to answer the charges were DepEd Special Disbursing Officers Edward D. Fajarda and Gina F. Acosta, Director for Strategic Management Office and Assistant Secretary Atty. Sunshine Charry A. Fajarda, Undersecretary for Administration Ret. Maj. Gen. Nolasco A. Mempin, and Undersecretary for Finance Service Analyn M. Sevilla. For the OVP, those named are Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, and Lt. Col. Dennis Nolasco and Col. Raymund Dante P. Lachica of the Vice President Security and Protection Group.
They were asked to submit their counter-affidavits on the basis of the House of Representatives Committee Report No. 1503, dated June 10, 2025, on the reported irregularities in the use of Duterte’s confidential funds for the OVP and DepEd.
They were accused of technical malversation, falsification and use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery, corruption of public officers, plunder, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution in the Committee Report No. 1503 issued by the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability.
They were asked to file their counter-affidavits within 10 days from receipt of the order issued by the OMB.
The OMB said: “Failure to file Counter-Affidavit within the aforesaid period shall be deemed as waiver of respondents' right to submit controverting evidence and the preliminary investigation shall proceed accordingly.”
Thereafter, this case shall be deemed submitted for resolution on the basis of the evidence presented by the parties, whose presence may be dispensed with, unless otherwise required for classificatory questioning, it added.
It also said that no motion to dismiss or to ask for bill of particulars will be entertained.
To recall, Duterte's confidential funds for the OVP became the subject of controversy after it was found out that she allegedly used P125,000,000 in 2022 and the amount reportedly ballooned to P375,483,600 in 2023.
The Commission on Audit (COA) even flagged the OVP over the P73 million out of the P125 million confidential funds reportedly used by Duterte.
At the DepEd during the term of Duterte as secretary, it was reported that P612.5 million in confidential funds were used in 2022 and 2023.
A DepEd official even told the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability that P4 million to P6 million in confidential funds were allegedly released on a weekly basis
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