PRIVATE prosecutor and House legal spokesperson Atty. Benjamin “Jay” Tolosa Jr. said Monday that Vice President Sara Z. Duterte cannot distance herself from the liquidation of the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential funds because the key documents bore her own signatures.
“Kapag hindi na-comply, maliwanag, may pananagutan ang Vice President dahil naroon mismo sa mga certification na siya ang lumagda,” Tolosa said during a press briefing.
Tolosa said the testimony of Commission on Audit (COA) auditor Roderick Wamil showed that Duterte personally signed the OVP’s physical and financial plan, disbursement vouchers, liquidation reports, accomplishment reports and certifications submitted to the COA.
He said those signatures were not merely ministerial.
According to Tolosa, the disbursement vouchers signed by Duterte certified that the cash advance was “necessary, lawful, and incurred under my direct supervision and control.”
He added that the certifications attached to the liquidation reports likewise stated that the signatory was accountable for the disbursement of the confidential funds, that the expenses were incurred in connection with the agency’s confidential operations, and that supporting documents accompanied the liquidation.
“So what’s the significance of that? It’s clear that the Vice President had a direct hand on this. She signed it off, not just the use, but the way that it was liquidated,” Tolosa said.
He said Wamil’s testimony established more than the authenticity of the documents.
“It laid the foundation for our succeeding witnesses, who will show whether the confidential funds were actually used only for purposes allowed by law and whether the liquidation complied with government rules,” Tolosa said.
“These are public funds. So napakahalaga na mapakita, na mapaliwanag sa gobyerno, sa COA, nitong dalawang ahensya na ito, na nagamit talaga nila sa tamang purposes na allowed under the law, at napatunayan nila ito by complying with the liquidation process,” he added.
Tolosa said the significance of Duterte’s signatures would become clearer as the prosecution continues presenting evidence under Article I of the impeachment complaint, which alleges the misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds released to the OVP and the Department of Education during her tenure as Vice President and Education secretary.
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