Sara Duterte files counter-affidavit on alleged misuse of confidential funds
Vice President Sara Duterte submitted her counter-affidavit on the complaints that the House of Representatives filed against her in connection with her alleged misuse of confidential funds.
The Philippine STAR reported that the VP filed her counter-affidavit before the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday, June 27 through her lawyers Michael Poa and Paul Lim.
This came a week after the Ombudsman gave Duterte as well as officials from her office and the Department of Education 10 days from the receipt of its order to submit their counter-affidavits "together with the affidavit/s of their witness/es, and other supporting documents."
The DepEd respondents included Edward Fajarda, special disbursing officer; Sunshine Charry Fajarda, director for the strategic management office; Nolasco Mempin, undersecretary for administration; and Annalyn Sevilla, undersecretary for finance service.
The OVP respondents were Gina Acosta, special disbursing officer; Zuleika Lopez, undersecretary and chief of staff; Lemuel Ortonio, assistant secretary and assistant chief of staff; and Dennis Nolasco and Raymund Dante Lachia, vice president security and protection group.
The group is facing cases for technical malversation, falsification, use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery, corruption of public officers, plunder, and betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
It was the House Committee on Good Governance and Public Accountability that recommended filing cases against Duterte for her alleged misuse of confidential funds: P500 million by the OVP from December 2022 to September 2023, and P112.5 million by the DepEd from February to September 2023.
The former DepEd secretary has denied the allegations of irregular spending, which was also among the issues cited by the House in impeaching her on Feb. 5. The impeachment trial has yet to proceed, with the 19th Congress adjourning sine die on June 14 and the Senate remanding the complaint to the House.
Duterte's impeachment case and its merits will be tackled in the 20th Congress in July.