ACKNOWLEDGMENT receipts (ARs) submitted to account for Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s confidential funds showed questioned transactions occurring on the same day across some 300 locations nationwide, adding a logistical problem to records already under scrutiny over the identities of purported recipients.
“Dito ho nakita na hindi lang po yung mga ARs ang walang mga matches doon sa kanilang entries sa PSA, questionable yung mga edad, questionable yung mga panahong nakatanggap sila dahil may acknowledgment receipts na tumanggap ng dalawang beses sa isang araw at nagkaroon lang po ng disbursement sa ilang lugar, mahigit kumulang 300 areas all over the country na distributed in 1 day,” House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said Sunday.
The geographic and timing questions add another layer to the prosecution’s challenge to the acknowledgment receipts, after senator-judges had earlier questioned how confidential fund payments could have been physically made in far-flung places on the same dates.
Article I covers P500 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and another P112.5 million released to the Department of Education (DepEd) while Duterte headed both agencies.
Alonto Adiong maintained that the existence of acknowledgment receipts and liquidation reports cannot by itself establish that the transactions written on them actually took place.
“Hindi po sapat ang acknowledgment receipts lamang o certification o liquidation reports dahil kailangan mapatunayan na ang mga ito ay tumutukoy sa totoong transaksyon at totoong paggastos,” Alonto Adiong stressed.
The prosecution has questioned not only the identities appearing in the documents but also whether the dates, locationsand purported transactions can be reconciled with how the funds were actually handled on the ground.
Philippine Statistics Authority verification separately found that many names submitted from the OVP and DepEd lists had no matching birth, marriage or death records, while other single-name matches corresponded to deceased persons or minors.
“Kapag may mga pangalan na hindi ma-verify, mga gastos na kinukuwestyon o mga operasyon na walang sapat na patunay, nagkakaroon po ito ng malaking butas sa pagitan ng encashment at paglabas ng pera, paggamit ng pera at ang pagdokumento kung paano ginastos itong pera na ito,” Alonto Adiong emphasized.
The prosecution has rested Article I after presenting its evidence on what it alleges were misuse, misappropriation and irregular liquidation, leaving the defense an opportunity to explain the receipts and other supporting documents when it presents its case.
The Senate impeachment court will ultimately determine whether the questioned dates, locations and recipient records establish the violations alleged by the House prosecution.
metrosundaily
