Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds could still result in a criminal conviction, according to House prosecution panel spokesman Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
The potential charges stem from a Notice of Disallowance from the Commission on Audit (COA) over the P73.287 million in confidential expenses incurred by the Office of the Vice President in December 2022.
Far from weakening the case, Adiong noted that this recent audit bolstered the prosecution’s assessment of the evidence.
“That will only prove that there was really prima facie evidence of misuse of public funds to benefit one’s interest or oneself,” he said.
During the impeachment trial, the prosecution introduced extensive documentation and witness testimony regarding the transfer and receipt of these confidential funds.
However, they dropped Article I on the misuse of confidential funds alongside two other Articles of Impeachment, which Adiong acknowledged closed narrowed the path to conviction in the Senate.
Because only a single conviction is required to enforce constitutional consequences, prosecutors have opted to pivot and concentrate their efforts entirely on Article II, which accuses Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth.
