Sandiganbayan allows DOH witnesses in Duque graft trial

The Sandiganbayan First Division has allowed two Department of Health (DOH) witnesses to testify in the graft trial of former Health Secretary Francisco Duque III and former DBM Undersecretary Lloyd Christopher Lao. The case involves an alleged irregular transfer of P41 billion in DOH funds to the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The witnesses, Dawnavi Lae Lacsado and Abegal Conchada, are former secretariat members of the DOH’s COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. Prosecutors intend to use their testimony to establish that the DOH had the authority to procure its own medical supplies, such as test kits and face masks, without utilizing the PS-DBM.

Defense lawyers objected to the witnesses, arguing their testimonies would be redundant and violate the right to a speedy trial. While the court permitted these two witnesses to proceed, Associate Justice Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega noted that prosecutors have listed 54 witnesses without specifying their individual purposes. The defense has been given five days to submit a compliance document outlining the intent behind the remaining witnesses.