MANILA, Philippines – The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte floated during the impeachment trial’s 12th day on Tuesday, August 4, that there’s no rule that bars confidential funds from being spent in 11 days.
Duterte’s defense team’s cross-examination of Roderick Wamil, formerly with the Commission on Audit (COA)’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Auditing Unit, centered on the COA’s Joint Circular No. 2015-01, which governs the auditing of confidential and intelligence funds.
Defense spokesperson and counsel Michael Poa asked Wamil if there’s a specific provision in the circular that bars the usage of confidential funds within a certain number of days.
“Meron po bang nagbabawal na gamitin ito (funds) in 11 days (Is there a provision that bars the use of funds in 11 days)?” Poa asked, referring to the circular.
“Wala rin po, kaya hindi po namin sinama sa findings namin ‘yong 11 days na disbursement (None, that’s why we did not include the 11-day disbursement in our findings),” Wamil confirmed.
