HOUSE prosecutors on Friday expressed confidence that the completed testimony of two Commission on Audit (COA) witnesses established the factual basis for disallowing Office of the Vice President (OVP) confidential expenditures and showed that portions of the funds were not used for their stated confidential purposes.
The testimony forms part of Article I, which concerns the alleged misuse and irregular disbursement of a total of P612.5 million in confidential funds received by the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd).
House prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution remains focused on presenting evidence despite the disputes that arose during the defense’s cross-examination of COA–Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office witnesses Roderick Wamil and Xylene Del Campo.
“Very important po na ipunto na hindi po na-distract ang prosecution doon sa presentation of evidence despite the spectacle that we had seen, in which the defense was complaining about several things,” Ridon said during a House prosecution press conference.
He said the auditors explained why COA issued notices of disallowance covering OVP confidential-fund transactions and why P73 million from the office’s December 2022 expenditures must be returned.
“Talagang malinaw po ang ipinakita nila na mayroon talagang actual na batayan kung bakit nagkaroon ng notices of disallowance ang OVP sa paggamit nila ng confidential funds,” Ridon said.
“Malinaw po kung bakit pinapasauli ang P73 million despite the cross-examination of the defense panel,” he added.
Ridon also rejected the suggestion that the alleged use of fictitious names was irrelevant merely because the names themselves were not written in the notices of disallowance. The acknowledgment receipts containing those names, he said, belonged to the documents on which the audit findings were based.
“We cannot pretend that just because the fictitious names are never mentioned there, hindi na ho iyan kasama,” Ridon said. He added that the supporting documents formed part of the basis for the notices of disallowance.
Among the documents presented at the trial was an acknowledgment receipt identifying “Mary Grace Piattos” as the supposed recipient of P70,000 worth of medicines. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) previously found no corresponding birth, marriage, or death record for that name.
Ridon said the receipt was not a peripheral document but formed part of the questioned liquidation.
“Mary Grace Piattos, to reiterate, siya po iyong nakatanggap ng P70,000 … And that is specifically the basis for the disallowance itself,” he said.
The prosecution also pointed to listed activities that Del Campo testified did not fall within the confidential activities authorized by Joint Circular No. 2015-01, including a Christmas party.
“Again, nakalagay doon sa listahan, ginamit sa Christmas party iyong confidential funds na ito,” Ridon said.
He said the evidence also covered the release or transfer of confidential funds to personnel who were not organic employees of the OVP or the Department of Education (DepEd). According to Ridon, the disbursement mechanism itself raised a misuse issue apart from whether the reported activities were genuine.
House prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua said the prosecution had completed the direct and cross-examination of the COA witnesses and would begin presenting a new set of witnesses next week.
He identified Marivic Pareja, OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, former DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, and OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio.
The prosecution said their testimony would move the presentation from the audit findings to the officials and records directly connected with the withdrawal, handling, and liquidation of the confidential funds. (
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