Cendaña: Dropping 3 of 4 charges does not spare VP from accountability

MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña said on Sunday that the House prosecution panel’s decision to withdraw three of the four impeachment articles against Vice President Sara Duterte was a legal strategy aimed at securing a speedy resolution of the case.

In an interview on dzBB’s “Bantay Balita sa Kongreso” hosted by Nimfa Ravelo and Isa Avendaño-Umali, Cendaña stressed that prolonged proceedings would work in favor of the respondent.

“Napakahalaga kasi noong speedy resolution ng kasong ito,” Cendaña said, warning that prolonged proceedings could weaken public interest and discourage witnesses from participating.

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READ: From 4 to 1: Impeachment court OKs reduced raps vs Sara Duterte

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“Kapag delayed ang hustisya, this is always in favor of the accused, in this case, the respondent,” he added.

Cendaña said the allegations covered by the withdrawn articles—including the alleged misuse of confidential funds, grave threats and bribery—could still be pursued through separate legal proceedings, subject to the applicable laws and procedures.

Filing of cases

He pointed to the possibility of filing cases against Duterte, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) over the use of confidential and intelligence funds. He also cited the Commission on Audit’s (COA) final disallowance of P73.287 million in OVP confidential expenses as a possible basis for further action by the Office of the Ombudsman.

READ: COA disallows P375M in OVP’s secret funds

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“Isang mechanism para makakuha tayo ng accountability at redress dito sa confidential funds ay after the finality ng decision ng COA,” he said.

“Dapat sampahan din talaga ng kaso si VP Sara Duterte at ang Office of the Vice President at ang DepEd nu’ng panahon na ’yun, para doon sa kanilang use of confidential intelligence funds,” he added.

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Cendaña also said the defense could seek to prolong the proceedings as it presents evidence and calls witnesses on the remaining impeachment article. He warned that further delays could cause public interest in the trial to wane.

The House prosecution panel withdrew Article I on the alleged misuse of confidential funds, Article III on bribery, and Article IV on grave threats, leaving Article II on alleged unexplained wealth as the sole remaining article. The Senate impeachment court accepted the withdrawal on Oct. 13.

Cendaña also backed calls to declassify the confidential funds allocated to Duterte to enable authorities and the public to scrutinize their use.

“So sa dulo, I support ’yung call to declassify the confidential funds na binigay doon sa vice president nang sa ganon, makita talaga ng ating mga kababayan at nung ating mga awtoridad kung paano talaga nawaldas ang pondong ito,” he said.

However, he said questions remained about whether some expenses charged to confidential funds duplicated the regular duties and resources of Duterte’s security detail.

The Senate impeachment trial is scheduled to resume on Nov. 9, when Duterte’s defense team is expected to present its case.

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Asked whether the Vice President would personally appear at the trial, Cendaña expressed doubt, saying she had previously promised to face the proceedings but had not appeared despite opportunities to do so. /cb