VICE President Sara Duterte yesterday questioned the veracity of names of persons who allegedly received confidential funds from her office even if it was the Office of the Vice President (OVP) that submitted the list of names to the Commission on Audit.
“Ito ba ‘yung walang kamatayang confidential funds (Is this the never-ending [issue about the] confidential funds)?” she asked reporters at The Hague in the Netherlands where her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, is detained while awaiting trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in relation to his war on drugs that left thousands dead.
The Vice President said she has no idea where the House of Representatives got its list of dubious names, reacting to La Union Rep. Paolo Ortega V who said the supposed recipients now include five “Dodongs,” a “Jay Kamote” and a “Miggy Mango.”
“We really don’t know how they handled the chain of evidence talaga. We don’t know if that’s really what the Office of the Vice President submitted,” she said in mixed Filipino and English.
The names are part of evidence attached to the Articles of Impeachment against the Vice President. The other names “Pia Piatos-Lim” and “Renan Piatos,” who are seemingly linked to a recipient earlier identified as “Mary Grace Piattos.”
The name Piattos has been the subject of ridicule because “Mary Grace” is the name of a popular restaurant “Piattos” is a known brand of potato chips.
“Xiaome Ocho” also appears on the list of the OVP’s confidential fund recipients. It is similar to a 2018 model of the Xiaomi brand cellphone.
Like the other dubious names, “Jay Kamote,” “Miggy Mango,” and the five Dodongs have no birth, marriage, or death records in the Philippine Statistics Authority while appearing in the OVP’s confidential fund reports.
The Articles of Impeachment, transmitted by the House of Representatives to the Senate on February 5, includes as a specific act Duterte’s alleged malversation of P612.5 million in confidential funds as vice president and as education secretary, a position she held until June last year.
The impeachment trial has not started. Senate President Francis Escudero has stuck to his word that trial may start in July since Congress is currently on recess.
DUTY
Ortega yesterday said the Senate should also uphold its constitutional duty to act on the impeachment case because it is holding committee hearings during the break.
“The Constitution is clear — impeachment is a constitutional mandate, not a political tool. If the Senate can convene during recess to discuss other matters, then it should also be ready to deliberate on the impeachment case against the Vice President,” he said in a statement.
Ortega said the credibility of government institutions “relies on their commitment to upholding accountability.” He pressed the Senate “to show the same urgency in handling the impeachment case as they do with other pressing issues.”
“Justice delayed is justice denied,” he said. “We in the House have done our part in ensuring due process is upheld. We trust that the Senate will fulfill its duty with the same diligence and impartiality when the time comes.”
‘STUDY PA MORE’
Escudero told Ortega further study Congress’s rules.
He earlier said that according to Senate rules, any, and not just the blue ribbon, can hold motu proprio investigations while Congress is on break.
The Committee on Foreign Relations will hold a hearing today to determine if due process was properly observed in the arrest of the former president.
“I think Cong. Ortega should ‘study pa more’ regarding the difference between motu proprio hearings that can be done when Congress is not in session and impeachment proceedings that cannot be commenced during recess,” Escudero said in a Viber message to reporters.
Escudero said he can, at any time while Congress is on break, order that the impeachment complaint be immediately tackled, but again, he does not want the opposing party to have reasons to question it before the Supreme Court.
He said Ortega “may want to get clearer signals” from Speaker Martin Romualdez who he said was “quite satisfied and has never questioned the Senate’s actions, preparations, and preparedness” on the impending impeachment trial.
Escudero advised Ortega and his co-prosecutors to make full use of the time while Congress is in recess to study the complaints well.
“Make the most out of this period and study/build their case because when we start, we will not allow any delays whatsoever,” he said.
Escudero stressed nothing will be officially tackled by the Senate with regard to the impeachment trial until regular sessions resume on June 2.
READY FOR TRIAL
House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said the prosecution panel on Tuesday held a mock trial as part of its preparations for the impeachment proceedings.
“Lawyers do this prior to the trial to see the actual flow ng deliberations, testimonies during po the actual trial,” he told TeleRadyo.
Velasco and other House officials last Tuesday inspected the facilities and expressed satisfaction with the setup provided by the Senate leadership.
Velasco said Senate Secretary Renato Bantug Jr. showed to the House team the offices that would be used by House prosecutors and the impeachment secretariat.
He also clarified that contrary to some reports, the Divina Law Office is not among private lawyers engaged by the House to help the prosecution team, saying the legal team assisting congressmen “is composed of seasoned professionals who are committed to ensuring that due process is followed.”
Velasco also said the volunteer lawyers assisting the House impeachment team “are not merely driven by anger, as some have suggested.” “Rather, they are dedicated to the cause of justice and public service,” he said.
“Many of them have extensive experience working with public prosecutors and have a deep understanding of the law. Their involvement is a testament to their commitment to upholding accountability and the rule of law,” he said.
Speaker Martin Romualdez thanked the Senate leadership for granting the House prosecution panel’s request for rooms in preparation for the trial.
“The Senate has shown its commitment to upholding due process and ensuring a fair and impartial impeachment trial. I extend my deepest gratitude to Senate President Escudero and the entire Senate for their readiness and professionalism in handling this historic proceeding,” Romualdez said.
The Speaker said the House has done its part in transmitting the Articles of Impeachment to the Senate “and our prosecution panel is ready to present the case as soon as the impeachment court is convened.”
“We trust that the Senate will carry out its constitutional duty and proceed with the trial without unnecessary delays, in accordance with the rule of law,” he added.
