House trial spokesperson and impeachment adviser Robert Ace Barbers. (PNA photo by Joan Bondoc)
MANILA – House prosecution panel spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers stated on Tuesday that initial testimony from State Auditor Roderick Wamil has shifted the burden of evidence to Vice President Sara Duterte regarding the liquidation and disbursement of her PHP612.5 million in confidential funds accrued during her tenure as both Vice President and Department of Education Secretary.
“As I noted following yesterday’s hearing, in my opinion, the burden of evidence has now shifted to the defense team,” Barbers stated.
On Monday, Wamil, formerly assigned to the Commission on Audit’s (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO), testified that the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) original and revised submissions did not fully establish the identities of recipients, the specific confidential activities undertaken and the supporting proof for several payments.
He said the acknowledgment receipts were among the 845 documents submitted by the OVP to the COA to liquidate its first of four total PHP125 million confidential fund release covering Dec. 21 to 31, 2022.
