Ridon: Goal is to prosecute VP Duterte despite resignation rumors

MANILA, Philippines — Despite rumors that Vice President Sara Duterte sought a meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and was supposedly mulling resignation, the prosecution’s goal of presenting evidence against her remains the same, Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon said on Tuesday.

In a press briefing after Duterte’s impeachment trial before the Senate on Monday, Ridon was asked about the rumors, including claims that Duterte was supposedly pushing for a deal with Marcos in which she would resign so she could run for president in 2028.

READ: Sara Duterte on supposed resignation: ‘Never gonna happen’

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Ridon said they do not dwell on such matters, as the prosecution’s goal is to have Duterte tried before the Senate Impeachment Court and present evidence that they hope would merit a conviction.

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“The focus of the prosecution really is to have the vice president tried until the end. So, if there are other effects or consequences borne out of each day that the trial moves, we will leave it to them,” said Ridon, a member of the House of Representatives’ prosecution team.

Prosecution spokesperson and impeachment adviser Robert Ace Barbers said in a separate press briefing that they were concerned only with the process of seeking accountability from high-ranking officials and that the prosecution does not concern itself with supposed “trade-offs.”

“As far as the prosecution panel is concerned, we are in the process of seeking truth and accountability. We followed the directives of our Constitution that there will be an accountability mechanism for certain higher officials of government who are accused of wrongdoing and violating laws,” he said.

“So, if there are talks about trade-offs, the prosecution panel is not part of that because our task is to continue with the trial, present evidence and ensure that the people understand what these pieces of evidence mean,” he added.

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Over the weekend, Facebook page Philippine Defense Forces Forum made a cryptic post stating that the “deputy chief reportedly sought an audience with the chief,” carrying an offer to “resign without facing charges in exchange for being allowed to run in 2028.”

While the page did not mention that it was referring to Duterte and Marcos, several followers believed it was a reference to the two high-ranking officials, former allies who ran under the Uniteam coalition in the 2022 national elections but grew apart two years after winning by a landslide.

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No rush

Ridon also said he believes the prosecution has presented enough proof of misuse of confidential funds after the testimony of former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta.

Acosta testified before the impeachment court that she handed over the duty of disbursing the OVP’s confidential funds (CF) to Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica upon Duterte’s orders, which the prosecution panel believes violated Joint Circular No. 2015-01.

The joint circular crafted by the Commission on Audit and other agencies sets guidelines on how secret allocations will be withdrawn, disbursed, and accounted for.

When asked whether this belief that the prosecution had done enough to establish its case stemmed from a desire to finish the trial soon, before Duterte could resign, Ridon said it was not the case.

The lawmaker reiterated that the prosecution’s objective was also to “expedite” the trial so the defense could present its case.

“There are contending views that even if she actually resigns, the trial should continue because the court has to decide on the petition to perpetually disqualify her from holding public office, but it is something that ultimately the Senate Impeachment Court will decide on,” he added.

The prosecution panel listed four articles in its Articles of Impeachment, and so far, the Senate Impeachment Court has finished hearing the prosecution’s case for Article IV, or allegations that Duterte made grave threats against Marcos.

The court is currently hearing the prosecution’s witness for Article I, or claims that Duterte misused the CF allocated to her offices from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023.

READ: Ex-bank executive: OVP’s P125-M single transaction ‘unusual’

Acosta is the sixth witness presented by the prosecution for Article I.

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Previously, the prosecution presented former LandBank department managers Violeta Constantino and Nenita Camposano, who used to manage the branches where OVP and DepEd encashed their CF allocations, and state auditors Roderick Wamil and Xylene Mae del Campo, who scrutinized the financial books of Duterte’s offices. /mcm