Vice President Sara Duterte was aware and authorized all the processes and activities in relation to her office’s confidential funds (CFs) worth P500 million in total, Duterte’s assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio testified on Tuesday.
The movements cover the last quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023.
The testimony was given after prosecution counsel Mae Divinagracia asked Ortonio whether or not Duterte is the ‘mastermind’ or ‘architect’ of the Office of the Vice President’s alleged misuse of confidential funds.
‘You will agree with me that this whole confidential funds matter, ang arkitekto at mastermind nito ay si Sara Duterte?’ Divinagracia said.
(You will agree with me that this whole confidential funds matter, the architect and mastermind of it is Sara Duterte?)
The question was opposed by the defense, and was stricken off the record, but when Divinagracia attempted to rephrase, she argued harder on the use of the word ‘architect’ in characterizing the vice president.
Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, at this point, asked Ortonio himself:
‘Lahat ng bagay kaugnay ng confidential fund, mula sa pagrequest, sa pagrelease, sa pagencash, sa paggastos, sa pagliquidate, sa pagsagot sa mga AOMs, notice of suspension, at notice of disallowance ay una, nalalaman ng ikalawang pangulo; pangalawa, inawtorisa niya base sa mga pirma niya sa iba’t ibang mga dokyumento; at pangatlo, ay nasa ilalim ng kaniyang superbisyon bilang head of agency?’
(Everything related to the confidential fund, from requesting, to releasing, to encashing, to spending, to liquidating, to responding to AOMs, notices of suspension, and notices of disallowance, is first, known to the second president; second, authorized by him based on his signatures on various documents; and third, is under his supervision as head of agency?)
‘Based on my understanding and based on what I know – yes. The vice president knows about the confidential activities and how it is being implemented,’ Ortonio answered.
Escudero continued: ‘May ginawa ka ba na hindi alam o hindi in-authorize ni Vice President Sara kaugnay sa confidential funds, kasabay na ang pagsagot mo sa AOMS, notice of suspension, at notice of disallowance?’
(Did you do anything that Vice President Sara did not know about or did not authorize in relation to confidential funds, at the same time as you responded to the AOMS, notice of suspension, and notice of disallowance?)
‘None, Your Honor,’ Ortonio replied.
Escudero then asked, ‘Lahat alam nya at inauthorize niya?’
(She knows everything and she authorized it?)
To this, Ortonio responded in the affirmative.
During Divinagracia’s direct examination, Ortonio testified to drafting the OVP’s request for CFs from the Department of Budget and Management, signing the disbursement vouchers, encashing the P125 million funds per quarter, and preparing a reply to the Commission on Audit’s AOM.
All of these actions, Ortonio testified, were under the orders of Duterte herself.
The witness also identified the vice president’s signatures in authorizing and certifying all other documents and requirements needed to process CFs. /