By providing an email address. I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy.
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte was aware and authorized all the processes and activities in relation to her office’s confidential funds (CFs) worth P500 million in total, from the last quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023, Duterte’s assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio said on Tuesday.
This comes after a series of questions from prosecution counsel Mae Divinagracia that established Ortonio’s involvement in processing the Office of the Vice President’s CFs that was allegedly misappropriated.
“Lahat ng bagay kaugnay ng confidential fund, mula sa pagrequest, sa pag-release, sa pag-encash, sa paggastos, sa pag-liquidate, sa pagsagot sa mga AOMs (Audit Observation Memorandum), notice of suspension, at notice of disallowance ay una, nalalaman ng ikalawang pangulo; pangalawa, inawtorisa niya base sa mga pirma niya sa iba’t ibang mga dokyumento; at pangatlo, ay nasa ilalim ng kanyang superbisyon bilang head of agency?” Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero asked.
(Everything related to the confidential fund, from requesting, to releasing, to encashing, to spending, to liquidating, to responding to AOMs, notices of suspension, and notices of disallowance, is first, known to the second president; second, authorized by him based on his signatures on various documents; and third, is under his supervision as head of agency?)
