HOUSE trial spokesperson and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Renee Co said Monday that the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Z. Duterte is far from being politicized when it’s about uncovering the truth behind the allegations of betrayal of public trust, bribery, and other high crimes.
What may appear politicized, she said, is the prosecution’s need to determine where the confidential funds were used and where they went, especially when it concerns public funds.
“Well, wala pong politicized dito other than ‘yung gusto nating ma-uncover ay ‘yung pera. Political decision po kung saan pupunta ‘yan eh. Kung nagpunta ‘yan sa bulsa nang hindi tama o kaya sa serbisyo na dapat matatamasa at nararamdaman ng mamamayan,” Co said.
Co also explained that the prosecution’s assessment under Article I, which concerns the alleged misuse of confidential funds, centers on whether the funds were used for the benefit of Filipinos and in accordance with the intended purposes of confidential and intelligence funds.
“Ako ang ina-assess natin, napunta ba talaga ito sa mamamayan or nagamit nga ba sa sinabing purpose ng confidential at intelligence funds?” she added.
The impeachment proceedings, Co stressed, are being conducted primarily to establish the truth behind the use of P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd), and whether the alleged irregularities constitute betrayal of public trust.
She noted that testimony presented before the Senate Impeachment Court has already provided answers as to how the funds were handled and whether they were used for legitimate confidential activities.
Co cited the testimony of OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, who said Duterte herself instructed her to turn over confidential funds to her security personnel Col. Raymund Dante Lachica despite Acosta being the designated officer responsible for their disbursement.
She also pointed to documents bearing Duterte’s signature relating to requests and plans for the use of confidential funds, as testified by OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio.
“So lahat po ito ay nagbi-build up na may pananagutan po si VP sa hindi tama na paggasta na galing sa pera ng taongbayan na hindi pa natin nahahanap hanggang ngayon kung nasaan itong P612 million pesos,” Co said.
While witnesses have also testified that the funds were used to secure areas concerning the vice president’s activities ahead of her visit, Co said that documents presented in the trial indicated expenditures for medicines, safehouses, and other purposes.
“Pero ‘yung mga papel, they tell a different story din. It says medicine. It says safehouses, etc. So hindi natin talaga masigurado lalo na’t may mga sa dulo rin puro alias ang ginamit,” she added.
The trial spokesperson further stressed that the prosecution’s case under Article I has become clearer and more firmly established, considering that the testimonies came not from witnesses aligned with the prosecution, but from individuals who had worked under Duterte at the OVP.
“Hindi po ito sa kung sino-sino lang nanggaling. Nanggaling na ito sa mga witnesses na ang inaasahan natin ay dedepensahan si VP Sara,” Co said, referring to Acosta and Ortonio who have been considered hostile witnesses.
“Sa atin, mahirap masabing politicized at pinupulitika ito kung ang mismong ‘yung inaasahan na dapat magdepensa nito na ‘yung katotohanan na binibigay niya,” she added.
Co reiterated that the purpose of the impeachment trial remains to determine what actually happened to the public funds and whether Duterte should be held accountable.
“So ito po tayo, we’re uncovering the truth and there’s nothing na pinupulitika o politicized sa paghahanap ng katotohanan,” she said.
metrosundaily
