Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson said the remaining budget of about P11 million is enough to cover the remaining proceedings in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Lacson, chairman of the Senate accounts committee and a senator-judge in the trial, said more than P14 million had been spent from the P25.7-million continuing appropriation under the 2025 General Appropriations Act.
“Kakasya na yan kasi isang article na lang ang naiwan at presentation na lang ng defense, so hindi na magtatagal yan. Sosobra yan – actually may masa-save pa doon,” he said in an interview with DZBB radio.
Lacson also disputed the claim by Duterte’s spokesperson, Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., that P500 million had been wasted on the proceedings.
The senator said Panelo may have confused the Senate’s regular operating expenses of about P25 million a day with the actual cost of conducting the impeachment trial.
Meanwhile, Lacson said the National Bureau of Investigation’s latest findings on properties linked to Duterte could no longer be included in the evidence being considered by the impeachment court because they were outside the scope of the trial.
“Itong mga bagong pinakita ng NBI, hindi naman ito nasaklaw eh. So hindi kasama sa consideration namin yan,” he said in an interview with DZMM radio.
Lacson said any further findings by the NBI could be considered by the Office of the Ombudsman in a possible criminal case. The NBI had referred its findings to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice.
Duterte has denied owning a property linked by the bureau to her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and questioned the use of public funds for the investigation.IMT
