MANILA — The House prosecution panel on Thursday said it will present more evidence in the coming weeks to trace how Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged confidential funds were spent, stressing that the money trail does not end with the cash withdrawals from government banks.

House prosecution spokesperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong said the evidence presented so far has established only the first phase of tracing the movement of the ₱612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure.

“In the following weeks, the prosecution will show how VP Sara’s handling of these funds were in complete disregard of her oath of office, which constitutes betrayal of public trust,” Adiong said during a press briefing.

“Sabay-sabay po natin sundan ang money trail dahil ang pagpapaliwanag para sa taong-bayan mula po sa kanilang pondo o pera ay hindi dapat magtapos sa apat na gym bags,” he added.

Adiong made the statement after former Land Bank of the Philippines branch managers Violeta Constantino and Nenita Camposano testified before the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday.

Constantino testified that four Treasury checks worth ₱125 million each, totaling ₱500 million for the OVP, were encashed by Duterte’s authorized representatives at the LandBank Shaw Boulevard branch between December 2022 and July 2023.

She said the cash for each transaction was released in 125 bundles worth ₱1 million each before being packed into several large bags resembling gym bags.

Camposano, meanwhile, testified that three Treasury checks worth ₱37.5 million each, totaling ₱112.5 million for DepEd, were also converted into cash at the LandBank DepEd branch through separate transactions between February and July 2023.

She described the withdrawals as unusual because of their size and testified that the cash was taken out through the bank’s fire exit instead of the main entrance.

Combined, the testimonies accounted for the encashment of Treasury checks totaling ₱612.5 million released to the OVP and DepEd.

Article I of the impeachment complaint accuses Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust over the alleged misuse of confidential funds.

Adiong said the testimonies established that the funds moved from the National Treasury to Duterte’s authorized representatives.

“On the first day of presenting its evidence for Article I on confidential funds, the prosecution has proved, without a doubt, and as stipulated by the defense, that the people’s money from the Treasury was paid out and encashed by representatives of Vice President Sara Duterte in her role as Secretary of Education and as Vice President,” he said.

He added that the prosecution’s succeeding witnesses will focus on what happened after the cash was withdrawn and how the confidential funds were allegedly spent.