Ombudsman collating VP Sara confi funds evidence ‘for proper filing, if necessary’

MANILA (UPDATED) — Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said Friday it was collecting and evaluating evidence related to Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of multimillion-peso confidential funds “for proper filing, if necessary.”

The prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Duterte had alleged that she misused her P612.5 million in confidential funds, of which P500 million was from the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 was under the Department of Education, which she led from 2022-2024.

The confidential funds allegation was part of the four core allegations against Duterte in her impeachment trial until the prosecution  decided to drop it along with two other charges: 

her alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and supposed bribery of DepEd officials.

Prosecutors only left one article of impeachment: the unexplained wealth case.

Remulla said they are collating the records on the issue. “We’re evaluating it [the records] so that we can actually evaluate it for proper filing if necessary,” Remulla said in a press briefing. The confidential fund issue, together with bribery and grave threats, is among the articles of impeachment that was dropped by House prosecutors. The article on unexplained wealth, meanwhile, stands.

“We will ask the prosecution to turn over to us their evidence for the other charges that have not been aired out yet. We are entitled to look at that,” Remulla said. For the Ombudsman, the series of alleged wrongdoings on confidential funds that were exposed in the impeachment court is “disturbing.”

“We just have to live with the fact that our job is to prosecute these things. Kaya we have been evaluating properly and filing the necessary cases when ready,” he said. Remulla added that filing of cases, if necessary, concerning Duterte’s confidential funds may possibly come sooner rather than later considering that testimonies of witnesses in the impeachment court are under oath.

The prosecution had shown evidence for the alleged grave threats and confidential funds misuse while the bribery charge was dropped before evidence was presented.

Duterte is already facing a grave threats complaint before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court in relation to her statements against Marcos.