VP Duterte could face criminal charges over confidential funds: prosecutors

MANILA – The House prosecution team has signaled confidence that charges against Vice President Sara Duterte related to the alleged misuse of confidential funds could advance beyond the ongoing impeachment trial, potentially resulting in criminal conviction through independent legal channels.

Lanao del Sur Representative Zia Alonto Adiong, serving as trial spokesperson for the House prosecution, indicated that the case could proceed to criminal court proceedings separate from the impeachment process. The prosecution's position suggests they view the evidence as substantive enough to support charges outside the congressional impeachment framework.

The statement comes as the House of Representatives continues its impeachment proceedings against the Vice President. The confidential funds controversy has become a focal point of the impeachment complaint, with prosecutors alleging improper use of discretionary funds during her tenure as Davao City Mayor and subsequently as Vice President.

The dual-track approach outlined by prosecutors underscores the potential for multiple legal venues to address the allegations. Criminal charges would require evidence meeting the standards of Philippine criminal law, distinct from the lower evidentiary threshold of impeachment proceedings.

The Vice President has previously dismissed the allegations as baseless and politically motivated. Her office has maintained that all expenditures of confidential funds were properly documented and authorized under existing regulations.

Photo: Sara Duterte takes her oath as Vice President in Davao City, June 2022. Presidential Communications, Government of the Philippines, via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).