Prosecutors target Sept. 9 to wrap up Duterte confi, intel fund case

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives prosecution panel is targeting Sept. 9 to complete its presentation of evidence in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte over her alleged misuse of confidential funds, even as prosecutors have yet to finalize their list of witnesses.

House prosecutor and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said that the date announced by lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro remained a working target rather than a firm deadline.

“The Sept. 9 date that has been mentioned remains a target,” Ridon said at a House press conference Thursday. He described Sept. 9 as an optimistic target for completing the presentation of evidence.

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READ: COA eyeing modified rules on confidential funds

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The prosecution is presenting evidence under Article I, which covers P500 million in confidential funds spent by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) from December 2022 to the third quarter of 2023 and P112.5 million released to the Department of Education in 2023 while Duterte headed the agency.

Ridon said the length of cross-examinations and questions from senator-judges could still affect the timetable.

“We cannot control several things — the cross and the questions of the senator-judges,” he said. “But we will try to wrap up by that date,” he added.

Asked whether the prosecution still intended to present Ramil Madriaga and the purported confidential fund recipient identified in documents as Mary Grace Piatos, Ridon said the panel would disclose its final lineup as it approached the close of Article I.

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“Let’s just wait and see what the final list of those who will testify at the trial will be,” he said.

Ridon said the prosecution’s immediate priority was establishing the connection between the handling of the confidential funds and Duterte’s instructions or official actions.

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“The important aspect is really proving the tie to the vice president,” he said.

He cited the testimony of former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio and former Department of Education chief of staff Atty. Michael Poa.

Acosta testified that Duterte instructed her to turn over OVP confidential-fund cash to security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica. Ortonio and Poa testified about their respective official roles and the limits of their knowledge of the transactions.

Ridon said those accounts had already supplied the evidence the prosecution considered central to linking the challenged transactions to Duterte.

“That was already mentioned in the testimonies of Ms. Acosta, Mr. Ortonio and Atty. Poa,” he said.

The panel will decide whether additional witnesses are necessary after the remaining scheduled testimony and questioning, Ridon said.

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“All the others will just serve as additional evidence to the overall effort to prove this article of impeachment,” the lawmaker added. “That part is already done.”