Duterte impeachment trial enters tenth week with fund recipient inquiry

MANILA — The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte advanced into its tenth week Monday as the House prosecution panel intensified its examination of how confidential funds were distributed during her tenure. The line of questioning centered on establishing the identities of purported recipients of the vice presidential discretionary funds at the heart of the charges against her. Marissa Grande, Assistant National Statistician of the Philippine Statistics Authority, took the witness stand to provide testimony relevant to the prosecution's investigation into the fund allocations. The 22nd day of hearings marked a critical phase in the proceedings, with prosecutors seeking to establish a detailed accounting of expenditures from the contested budget allocations. The trial, which began several months prior, has proceeded through testimony from multiple witnesses as the House panel builds its case against the sitting vice president.