Manila Rep. Joel Chua —Home of Representatives photograph Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian —Niño Jesus Orbeta
MANILA, Philippines — The Home of Representatives inquiry into Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds of her workplace and the Division of Schooling (DepEd) wraps up on Monday.
That is to provide approach to a army probe into the 2 rating officers allegedly tasked with receiving and spending the money and the impeachment complaints in opposition to the Vice President.
Manila Rep. Joel Chua, chair of the Home committee on good authorities and public accountability, mentioned panel members determined it was time to finish its inquiry earlier than it grew to become an “train in futility.”
READ: AFP probing 2 officers allegedly disbursing OVP, DepEd secret funds
In an interview on dzBB’s “Bantay Balita sa Kongreso,” Chua mentioned solely members of the Home’s counterpart to the Senate blue ribbon committee could be attending Monday’s listening to to “wrap up and summarize” the whole lot that has transpired of their inquiry since October.
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Committee members are anticipated to suggest payments imposing stricter {qualifications}, necessities and obligations of particular disbursing officers (SDO); lifting the confidential nature of funds for correct accounting upon the Fee on Audit’s (COA) issuance of a discover of disallowance; and limiting the allocation of confidential funds to companies, significantly departments not involved with intelligence-gathering, nationwide safety, and peace and order.
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AFP’s inside probe
The committee can be prone to embody the potential liabilities of some officers in its committee report.
Chua mentioned the report would additionally embody the outcomes of a Philippine Statistics Authority verification of practically 700 names, together with Mary Grace Piattos and Kokoy Villamin. The names appeared on 1000’s of acknowledgment receipts submitted by the Workplace of the Vice President (OVP) to the COA to justify the confidential fund expenditures, together with funds for rewards, journey bills, protected home leases, and buy of data, provides, meals assist and drugs.
“We have been supposed to ask the 2 safety officers who have been talked about however sadly we discovered that the Armed Forces of the Philippines is conducting an inside investigation,” Chua mentioned in Filipino.
No time for impeachment
The 2 army officers are Colonels Raymund Dante Lachica and Dennis Nolasco of the Vice Presidential Safety and Safety Group who have been named by OVP SDO Gina Acosta and her counterpart in DepEd, Edward Fajarda, as recipients of quarterly withdrawals of confidential funds amounting to P125 million and P37.5 million, respectively. This occurred between December 2022 and September 2023.
Chua added that there have been additionally impeachment complaints in opposition to Duterte over the alleged misuse of confidential funds. He mentioned ought to the impeachment course of in opposition to Duterte progress, she may reply questions concerning the funds earlier than the Home committee on justice.
Nonetheless, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian mentioned pushing for the impeachment proceedings may delay the dialogue and approval of precedence payments.
“One of many issues I anticipate as soon as the impeachment complaints attain the Senate is that there could be delays in taking on precedence measures, or possibly there are people who gained’t be mentioned in any respect. We now have so many precedence measures, so many legal guidelines we wish to move,” he mentioned in an interview with radio dzBB on Sunday.
“As a result of the focus, the main focus, analysis, the whole lot could be utilized for the impeachment trial,” he added.
Senators function judges within the Senate impeachment courtroom.
Gatchalian famous that impeachment proceedings are “difficult.”
He additionally questioned whether or not there was sufficient time for Congress to sort out the impeachment bid in opposition to Duterte since many lawmakers could be busy with the marketing campaign forward of the Could 2025 elections.
Senate President Professional Tempore Jinggoy Estrada shared the identical concern earlier.
“We’ll adjourn on Dec. 18. We’ll resume on Jan. 13. We’ll adjourn once more [on the] first week of February,” he mentioned.
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Estrada additionally mentioned it was unthinkable to expedite the proceedings due to the voluminous paperwork which can be anticipated to be introduced in the course of the impeachment hearings.