Minors Among 25 Recipients of OVP, DepEd Confidential Funds

MANILA — The revelation emerged on Monday during the 22nd day of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial, when Philippine Statistics Authority assistant national statistician Marizza Grande presented data on the recipients of confidential disbursements made by two government agencies.

Grande's testimony indicated that children were among those who received payments from the confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. The disclosure adds another dimension to the ongoing scrutiny of how the agencies deployed discretionary funds during the period under examination.

The presence of minors among the beneficiaries has prompted further inquiry into the allocation and distribution mechanisms used by both offices. Impeachment trial proceedings have focused on the transparency and propriety of these confidential fund disbursements, with various officials and experts called to testify about the nature and recipients of payments made from these allocations.

Grande's presentation of statistical analysis has become part of the documentary evidence being examined in the trial, which continues to draw attention to questions about fiscal accountability and the justification for confidential spending by high-ranking government officials.