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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Prosecution to strike hard and fast with proof on VP Sara's alleged confidential funds misuse

Prosecution to strike hard and fast with proof on VP Sara's alleged confidential funds misuse

Published Jul 23, 2026 06:57 pm

At A Glance

  • The House prosecution panel plans to shorten its presentation on Vice President Sara Duterte's alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds to speed up the trial.
  • Prosecutor Benjamin "Jay" Tolosa Jr. said some witnesses may be dropped to avoid duplication, aiming to finish in fewer days than the 30 allotted by the Senate.
  • The panel will start article I on July 29 with three witnesses, including former Land Bank managers and a House official, to support charges of constitutional violation, graft, and betrayal of public trust.
Vice President Sara Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN, Senate PRIB)
Vice President Sara Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN, Senate PRIB)


The House prosecution panel plans to present article against the impeached Vice President Sara Duterte in the same way that it presented article IV of the articles of impeachment.
That is, by striking hard and striking fast.
Private prosecutor and spokesperson Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. bared on Thursday, July 23 that the panel intends to shorten its presentation on the P612.5-million confidential funds misuse allegation (article I), just as it did with the grave threats allegation (article IV), to help speed up the trial.
“So, tulad ng ginawa namin doon sa article ng grave threats na pinaiksi namin, pinagsisikapan din naming gawin ’yun para lalong mas mapabilis ang paglilitis nito,” Tolosa said.
(So, just like what we did with the article on grave threats that we shortened, we are also striving to do the same so that the trial can proceed faster.)
He said the prosecution may also dispense with witnesses whose intended testimonies would only repeat or duplicate evidence already presented.
It can be recalled that the prosecution panel lead by Batangas 2nd district Rep. Gerville "Jinky Bitrics" Luistro originally listed 11 witnesses for article IV--the first article that was presented during the hearings.
Only three individuals ended up taking the witness stand for this purpose.
“Pare-pareho tayo ng gusto, ng public, ng impeachment court, kami rin, na matapos itong paglilitis na ito sa mas mabilis na panahon,” Tolosa said.
(We all share the same goal, the public, the impeachment court, and us too, that this trial be completed in a shorter period of time.)
Tolosa noted that the Senate impeachment court had originally allotted 30 trial days for the prosecution’s presentation of evidence on the confidential funds article.
This was due to the sheer volume of documents and financial records involved with the particular allegation.
Tolosa said the prosecution hopes to finish the presentation in fewer hearing days without sacrificing the strength of its evidence.
The prosecution will open its presentation on the confidential funds article with three witnesses whose subpoenas have already been issued by the Senate impeachment court.
The first to testify in the continuation of the trial next week, July 29 are former Land Bank branch managers Violeta Constantino and Nenita Camposano, who are expected to discuss the withdrawals made in connection with the confidential funds under scrutiny.
They will be followed by Marivic Pareja, an official of the House of Representatives, who will authenticate transcripts and video recordings from congressional hearings on the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
Tolosa said the prosecution is also preparing additional witnesses but declined to identify them or the prosecutors who will handle them, saying those details will be disclosed in accordance with the Senate impeachment rules and trial strategy.
On Wednesday, July 22, the prosecution capped its presentation on article IV, which covered Vice President Duterte's death threats to President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Leyte 1st district Rep. Martin Romualdez. Prosecutors said this constituted betrayal of public trust.
Article I accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust over the alleged misuse, misappropriation and irregular disbursement of P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The respondent Duterte was education secretary from 2022 to 2024.

Related Tags

confidential funds Impeachment Sara Duterte Benjamin Tolosa Articles of Impeachment
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