MANILA — The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is expected to focus further on the disbursement of P612.5 million in confidential funds next week as two of her former aides are set to testify before the Senate impeachment court.

Before Wednesday’s hearing adjourned, lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro said former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta and former Department of Education (DepEd) special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda would be among the prosecution’s next witnesses.

Senate impeachment court Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero ordered the issuance of subpoenas ad testificandum and, where necessary, subpoenas duces tecum for Acosta and Fajarda.

Escudero also ordered subpoenas for Commission on Audit (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office Supervising Auditor Celine May Del Campo and House Legislative Information Resources Management Department Director Marivic Pareja.

Del Campo, who began testifying Wednesday, is expected to continue her testimony when the trial resumes next week.

The confidential funds under scrutiny include P500 million released to the OVP from the fourth quarter of 2022 through the first three quarters of 2023, and P112.5 million released to the DepEd during the first three quarters of 2023, when Duterte concurrently served as education secretary.

Earlier in the trial, former Land Bank of the Philippines department manager Violeta Constantino testified that Acosta encashed four Treasury checks worth P125 million each, totaling P500 million, for the OVP in December 2022, February 2023, April 2023, and July 2023.

Former Land Bank department manager Nenita Camposano likewise testified that Fajarda encashed three Treasury checks worth P37.5 million each, totaling P112.5 million, for the DepEd in February, April, and July 2023.

COA state auditor Roderick Wamil later identified Acosta and Fajarda as the special disbursing officers who received the confidential funds and submitted liquidation documents for their respective agencies.

After Wednesday’s hearing, private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan said the two former officials were the payees identified in the Land Bank checks earlier presented by the prosecution.

The expected testimonies come after questions were raised during the hearing on whether the special disbursing officers, rather than Duterte, should be held accountable for the confidential funds.

House prosecutor Manila Rep. Joel Chua said COA’s witness had clarified that, under government accounting rules, accountability ultimately rests with the head of the agency.

House trial spokesperson Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong also said the documentary evidence presented before the impeachment court—including physical and financial plans, disbursement vouchers, accomplishment reports, and utilization reports—identified Duterte as the approving authority through her signatures.

Adiong added that testimony from two former Land Bank officials showed the bank received advance notice before Acosta encashed four P125-million Treasury checks on behalf of the OVP, placing the office at the center of the transactions.

He argued that it would be unfair to hold only the special disbursing officers accountable, saying they merely carried out instructions.