AFP officer set to testify on DepEd fund transfers in Duterte trial

MANILA – The trial of Vice President Sara Duterte advanced into its ninth week Tuesday with prosecutors preparing to call Armed Forces of the Philippines Col. Manaros Boransing II to the witness stand. The officer is expected to provide testimony regarding the handling of confidential funds from the Department of Education.

The House prosecution panel has indicated that Boransing's testimony will focus on establishing whether the AFP received any financial assistance drawn from DepEd's confidential fund allocations. The line of questioning forms part of the broader inquiry into the management and distribution of education department resources during the period in question.

The Duterte trial has now entered its twentieth day of proceedings as prosecutors methodically present witnesses and evidence to support their case. The introduction of military officials into the testimony sequence suggests the prosecution is building a comprehensive account of fund flows that may have extended beyond the education sector.

The hearing continues a pattern established in previous trial sessions, with the prosecution systematically examining documentation and securing firsthand accounts from government officials involved in budgetary matters. No details regarding the specific amounts or dates of any alleged fund transfers were disclosed prior to the testimony.