HOUSE prosecution panel spokesperson and Lanao del Sur 1st District Representative Zia Alonto Adiong used straightforward calculations to illustrate what the panel describes as the sheer scale of alleged misuse of the ₱125 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
According to Adiong, the entire ₱125 million was fully spent in only 11 days — from December 21 to December 31, 2022 — a period that even included official holidays. “When we quantify that amount over just 11 days, that translates to roughly ₱473,000 spent every single hour until the funds were exhausted,” Adiong stated. He emphasized that the speed and volume of spending are extraordinary, especially given that the funds were intended for the entire fourth quarter of the year.
The prosecution raised multiple critical questions about the transactions, beginning with the timing and method of release. Adiong noted that the OVP received the funds as a cash advance, yet expenses were reportedly incurred even before the money was actually released — a practice state auditors have flagged as irregular.
He also questioned how the funds could have been distributed across 134 separate locations nationwide within that same 11‑day window, calling the logistical feat practically implausible. These concerns form the core of Article I of the impeachment complaint, which examines how the funds were requested, withdrawn, distributed, and liquidated.
Adiong further argued that official documents — not verbal testimony — must be the basis for determining the truth. He pointed out that key figure Colonel Raymund Lachica did not sign any of the official records, while former OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta testified that Vice President Sara Duterte personally ordered her to hand over the cash to Lachica, despite Acosta being the bonded officer legally responsible for the funds. Adiong stressed that this violated established rules under Joint Circular No. 2015‑01, which clearly assigns oversight and accountability to agency heads and designated disbursing officers.
For Adiong, the apparent disregard for basic safeguards raises a fundamental question of public trust. “Can we trust the Vice President with government resources when she fails to follow even the most basic policies — especially as a lawyer and someone who has handled confidential funds for years?” Adiong asked.
He noted that Duterte had prior experience managing such funds as Mayor of Davao City, making the alleged violations even more concerning. “Public office is a public trust,” Adiong concluded. “If basic procedures are ignored, that alone demonstrates a culpable violation of the Constitution.”
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