A House prosecution spokesperson raises logistical and factual concerns over acknowledgment receipts suggesting improper distribution of confidential funds across hundreds of locations in a single day.
LANAO DEL SUR, Philippines — House prosecution spokesperson and Representative Zia Alonto Adiong flagged significant irregularities concerning the distribution of confidential funds under Vice President Sara Duterte. On Sunday, Adiong revealed that acknowledgment receipts (ARs) covering around 300 confidential fund disbursements indicate that these funds were allegedly distributed across the country within a single day.
Adiong expressed logistical doubts over how distributions could occur simultaneously in roughly 300 separate areas nationwide. He also pointed out inconsistencies in the details of the ARs, such as discrepancies between recipient ages listed and records from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), where some names corresponded to deceased individuals or minors. There were even reports of some individuals receiving payments twice in the same day in different locations.
“These spatial and temporal inconsistencies raise serious questions about the authenticity of the transactions,” said Adiong. He emphasized that simply producing acknowledgment receipts and liquidation reports does not constitute sufficient proof that these were legitimate and actual expenditures.
Article 1 of the impeachment complaint accuses Vice President Duterte of impeachable offenses related to the systematic misappropriation and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to P500 million allocated to the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million to the Department of Education.
Earlier during the impeachment trial, the PSA confirmed that many recipient names submitted did not have matching birth, marriage, or death records, casting further doubts on the validity of the transactions.
This development echoes concerns raised by senator-judges about how confidential funds could be disbursed simultaneously at distant locations, underscoring the need for a more thorough investigation to establish the legitimacy of the alleged transactions.
The ongoing impeachment trial continues to probe these allegations as more evidence and testimonies emerge.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/1002232/prosecution-spox-flags-confi-fund-receipts-issued-across-300-areas-in-one-day/story/