FORMER Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers said the House prosecution panel’s presentation of the alleged “ConfiScam” centers on one fundamental question: What happened to the ₱612.5 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education, and who directed their use?
Barbers said the amount consisted of ₱500 million in OVP confidential funds and ₱112.5 million in DepEd funds during the period when Sara Duterte headed both agencies. He said the prosecution is examining not simply the release of the money but the entire cash trail—from request and encashment, to turnover, disbursement and liquidation.
The prosecution’s presentation cited Commission on Audit findings involving ₱448.287 million in OVP funds. This included ₱73.287 million from the fourth quarter of 2022, of which ₱69.787 million in rewards lacked sufficient proof of successful intelligence and information gathering and ₱3.5 million in equipment was questioned for its confidential purpose. The entire ₱375 million released for the first three quarters of 2023 was also covered by notices of disallowance.
“Totoong pera ang inilabas. Totoong sagot ang dapat ibalik sa bayan,” Barbers said, stressing that the prosecution’s concern is whether the documentary trail can establish that the money actually reached legitimate recipients and was used for authorized confidential activities.
In the OVP cash trail, Barbers pointed to testimony that ₱125 million was withdrawn, placed in four traveling bags and turned over to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, allegedly upon Sara Duterte’s instruction. Former OVP SDO Gina Acosta also testified that another ₱375 million was given to Lachica in 2023 under the same instruction, bringing the total OVP amount in the questioned cash trail to ₱500 million.
Barbers also cited PSA-related findings involving names appearing in the combined OVP and DepEd lists. Of 2,669 names examined, testimony cited 1,685 without matching birth, marriage or death records, while 37 were reportedly deceased and 28 were minors. Barbers stressed, however, that these are name-matching findings and do not by themselves establish that the persons in the PSA records were the actual recipients of the funds.
The prosecution likewise presented the DepEd cash trail involving ₱112.5 million, consisting of three ₱37.5-million checks encashed by Edward Fajarda. According to the presentation, the defense acknowledged that Fajarda was designated as SDO by Sara Duterte and that Col. Dennis Nolasco received the ₱112.5 million from Fajarda pursuant to Duterte’s instruction. Barbers said the parallel cash trails in the OVP and DepEd—where funds allegedly moved from SDOs to security personnel—deserve close scrutiny.
“Huwag tayong tumigil sa nagbitbit ng bag. Sundan natin kung sino ang nagbigay ng direksyon,” Barbers said. He stressed that the prosecution is not asking the public to prejudge the case, as the Impeachment Court will ultimately weigh the evidence of both sides. “Confidential ang operasyon. Hindi confidential ang pananagutan.”
metrosundaily
