MANILA – The House prosecution panel outlined the evidence it intends to present on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, saying the next phase of the impeachment trial will focus on purported fictitious recipients, questionable signatures, and Commission on Audit (COA) findings ordering the return of hundreds of millions of pesos.

Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the prosecution expects to begin presenting evidence on the confidential funds article as early as July 22, after National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag completes his testimony on the impeachment article involving Duterte’s alleged threats.

“‘Yung confidential funds misuse, ito po ‘yung isa sa mga pinakainaantay ng bayan na talakayan at presentasyon po ng ebidensya,” Ridon said during a press briefing.

The first article of impeachment accuses Duterte of misusing a combined P612.5 million in confidential funds through the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), including P125 million allegedly disbursed by the OVP within 11 days in December 2022.

According to the prosecution, the liquidation documents supporting the disbursements include acknowledgment receipts bearing the names of alleged fictitious recipients.

The Senate impeachment court has already granted the prosecution’s request to subpoena its first three witnesses for the confidential funds article: Marivic Pareja of the House Legislative Archives Museum Management Service, former Land Bank Shaw Boulevard branch manager Violeta Constantino, and former Land Bank DepEd branch manager Nenita Camposano.

The three witnesses are expected to begin the prosecution’s presentation of evidence on the confidential funds article and have been directed to produce documents related to the allegations.

Among the documents the prosecution plans to present are liquidation records identifying individuals who supposedly received confidential funds from the OVP, including “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Milky Sikuya,” and other names.

“Pag-uusapan ho dito ‘yung Mary Grace Piattos, Milky Sikuya, at iba pa hong mga pangalan na kumuha, tumanggap ng confidential funds mula sa [OVP],” Ridon said.

Ridon also said the prosecution intends to present evidence indicating that many of the acknowledgment receipts were signed by the same person or group of persons.

He added that the panel will present findings from the Philippine Statistics Authority showing that several of the supposed recipients could not be verified in official records.

“Ilalahad din po doon ‘yung PSA report kung saan sinasabi that these particular personalities do not actually exist. They were never born, they were never married, they had never died in the Philippines,” he said.

The prosecution also plans to present COA reports directing the return of confidential funds.

According to Ridon, these include a final COA ruling ordering the return of P73 million from Duterte’s 2022 confidential funds, as well as the remaining P448 million that, according to the prosecution, may also have to be returned if no appeal is filed.

“Una doon pong sa unang paggamit ng confidential funds ng 2022, P73 million yung pong pinapasoli at nag-achieve na po ito ng finality sa Commission on Audit Proper. Ibig sabihin, kailangan na pong isoli personal ng Pangalawang Pangulo at ng iba pang mga napangalanan doon,” he said.

“Yung pong balance ng P448 million, kung hindi ho sila nag-apela dito po sa kautusang ito, kailangan na rin po nilang magsoli ng pera sa atin pong kaban ng yaman,” he added.