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Sara Duterte impeachment trial focuses on confidential fund misuse
The impeachment trial of Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte continued on August 17, 2026, focusing on the alleged misuse of 612.5 million pesos in confidential funds.
Former Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta testified that Duterte personally ordered the release of 125 million pesos in cash to security chief Col. Raymund Lachica. Acosta, appearing as a hostile witness, acknowledged that while the transfer may have been directed by the Vice President, it did not align with Joint Circular 2015-01, which prohibits transferring funds from one accountable officer to another.
Acosta also contested assertions from state auditors, claiming that Physical and Financial Plans for confidential funds do not require specific targets or activities. This contradicted testimony from auditors Roderick Wamil and Xylene del Campo, who argued that the lack of specific activities in the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education plans violated regulatory requirements.
Additionally, Senate Presiding Officer Francis Escudero is expected to rule on potential violations of Senate rules regarding public statements and social media posts made by parties involved in the trial.
Entities
Department of Education · Ferdinand Marcos Jr. · Francis Escudero · Gina Acosta · Office of the Vice President · Philippine Senate · Sara Duterte · Senate of the Philippines
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The OVP and Department of Education lacked specific activities in their plans to justify confidential fund spending, according to auditor Roderick Wamil. mindanews.com
- [DISPUTED] The transfer of confidential funds to security officers violated Joint Circular 2015-01, according to state auditor Xylene del Campo. abogado.com.ph
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Physical and Financial Plans for confidential funds do not require specific targets or activities according to former SDO Gina Acosta. mindanews.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Senate rules prohibit parties in an impeachment case from making public comments regarding the merits of the trial. www.inquirer.net
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Vice President Sara Duterte ordered the release of 125 million pesos in confidential funds to security chief Col. Raymund Lachica. abogado.com.ph