By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte is the only person who can directly explain the allegations behind her impeachment, according to Manila Rep. Joel Chua, a member of the House prosecution panel.
Chua made the statement Tuesday as the House prosecution team moved to present Duterte as a hostile witness after completing its evidence on all four impeachment articles.
“We believe that no person can best explain each article other than our vice president,” Chua said in Filipino during a press conference.
He pointed specifically to the allegations involving the alleged misuse of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which Duterte headed concurrently until 2024.
During the impeachment proceedings, special disbursing officers from both agencies testified that they turned over the confidential funds to security officers.
According to Chua, the testimony raised questions over where the funds ultimately went and who authorized their disbursement.
He said even the officials tasked with handling the releases testified that they did not know the identities of the final recipients, saying the money was handed to security officers on orders from the head of the agency.
“That is why only VP Sara can answer the question being asked not only by us but by all people,” Chua said.
The prosecution’s plan to subpoena Duterte as a hostile witness, he added, is intended to allow her to address the allegations herself.
Chua noted that Duterte has repeatedly maintained that she committed no wrongdoing and has characterized the impeachment proceedings as political harassment.
The lawmaker said senator-judges and the public have yet to hear Duterte directly respond to the accusations.
He also pointed out that the Vice President did not attend several House hearings involving the impeachment complaints filed against her.
Despite the prospect of Duterte being called to testify, Chua said the prosecution remains confident in the evidence it has already presented.
Whether Duterte ultimately appears before the impeachment court or not, he said, would not change the prosecution’s position that its case rests on the evidence presented during the proceedings.
ia/xf
