Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #confidentialfunds, aggregated by home.social.
[In This Economy] The 2027 budget: Hocus-pocus prevails once more
This year, as the outrage over the flood control scandal fades, and as politicians train their sights on 2028, expect budget hocus-pocus to prevail
https://justpaste.in/news/in-this-economy-2027-national-budget-hocus-pocus-prevails-once-more/
#BudgetWatch #confidentialfunds #CongressofthePhilippines #CorruptioninthePhilippines #DepartmentofBudgetandManagement
Taguig prosecutors junk Sara Duterte’s perjury complaint vs Ramil Madriaga
The prosecutors dismiss the complaint for lack of evidence
https://justpaste.in/news/taguig-prosecutors-dismiss-sara-duterte-perjury-complaint-ramil-madriaga/
#confidentialfunds #crimesinthePhilippines #DepartmentofJustice #SaraDuterte #TaguigCity
Taguig prosecutors junk Sara Duterte’s perjury complaint vs Ramil Madriaga
The prosecutors dismiss the complaint for lack of evidence
https://justpaste.in/news/taguig-prosecutors-dismiss-sara-duterte-perjury-complaint-ramil-madriaga/
#confidentialfunds #crimesinthePhilippines #DepartmentofJustice #SaraDuterte #TaguigCity
Corona precedent: Can the Constitution block Sara Duterte summons?
Months before then-chief justice Renato Corona voluntarily testified in his own trial in 2012, the impeachment court junked the prosecution’s request to compel him to take the witness stand
#confidentialfunds #Coronaimpeachment #DepartmentofEducation #GervilleReyesLuistro #OfficeoftheVice…
Prosecution wants to call Sara Duterte to witness stand
(1st UPDATE) ‘All of these pawns, and castles, and horses, and bishops point to only one person, and that accountable person is the Vice President,’ prosecutor Kapunan says at Duterte’s impeachment trial
#confidentialfunds #HouseofRepresentatives #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment #SenateofthePhilippines
Sara Duterte trial: Confi fund admission may violate anti-alias law
The anti-alias law as amended states that persons wanting to use an alias must obtain judicial authority, and must still affix their real name in documents
https://justpaste.in/news/sara-duterte-trial-confidential-fund-admission-violate-anti-alias-law/
#confidentialfunds #DepartmentofEducation #HouseofRepresentatives #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterte
Prosecution moves up presentation of unexplained wealth case vs Sara Duterte
The prosecution was originally scheduled to present its bribery case against the Vice President next, after it wraps up the impeachment article on her alleged confidential fund misuse
#confidentialfunds #Dutertefamily #HouseofRepresentatives #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment
Names in acknowledgement receipts ‘aliases’ — Sara Duterte defense
(1st UPDATE) The defense counsel of Vice President Sara Duterte clarifies longstanding question on the names appearing in the acknowledgement receipts for the confidential funds of DepEd, OVP
#CommissiononAudit #confidentialfunds #DepartmentofEducation #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterteimpeachment
Sara Duterte trial: Prosecution drops Madriaga, Lachica, Nolasco from witness lineup
The prosecution’s move to let go of the three witnesses will expedite the trial as it seeks to wrap up its confidential fund misuse case against Duterte by September 9
#confidentialfunds #DepartmentofEducation #HouseofRepresentatives #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterte
COA seeks to revise 11-year-old rules on auditing intelligence, confidential funds
The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte has exposed concerns and gaps in auditing confidential expenses
https://justpaste.in/news/coa-guidelines-confidential-intelligence-funds-revision-eyed/
#BudgetWatch #CommissiononAudit #confidentialfunds #CorruptioninthePhilippines #governance
[In the Public Square] Two months in: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial so far
The impeachment can be viewed in terms popularized by a late, great constitutionalist: it is ‘political justice’
https://justpaste.in/news/in-the-public-square-vice-president-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial/
#confidentialfunds #InThePublicSquare #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment #EditorsPick
Sara Duterte trial: Prosecution considers dropping bribery case
‘We do not want a protracted hearing. If we take this up, we might be here until Christmas and New Year,’ prosecutor Joel Chua says
https://justpaste.in/news/sara-duterte-trial-prosecution-considers-dropping-bribery-case/
#bribery #confidentialfunds #DepartmentofEducation #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterte
Poa prepared DepEd reply to COA but unaware security officer handled confi funds
Former DepEd official Michael Poa confirms that he only learned that there was a security officer involved in handling the agency’s confidential funds when it was brought up at a House hearing in 2024
#confidentialfunds #DepartmentofEducation #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachm…
What prompted Escudero’s reminder on digital devices ban at impeachment trial?
Impeachment court presiding officer Chiz Escudero debunks social media posts showing OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio purportedly wearing an earpiece while testifying during Duterte’s impeachment trial
#confidentialfunds #corruption #CorruptioninthePhilippines #SaraDuterteimpea…
‘No irregularity’ in use of AFP certification for DepEd confi funds liquidation – defense
‘The certification was also issued for what legal, whatever legal purpose it may serve,’ defense lead counsel Sheila Sison says
#ArmedForcesofthePhilippines #confidentialfunds #DepartmentofEducation #HouseofRepresentatives #SaraDuterte
Marcos wants P4.58-B confidential funds for 2027 — almost half of proposed OP budget
(1st UPDATE) Observing the long-held tradition of parliamentary courtesy, the House appropriations committee approves the proposed budget of the Office of the President
https://justpaste.in/news/office-president-2027-budget/
#BudgetWatch #confidentialfunds #FerdinandMarcosJr #OfficeofthePresident #Philippinenationalbudget
Colonel Raymund Lachica: The ‘missing link,’ and the trial’s wildcard
Can the prosecution navigate the unpredictability of Lachica’s testimony? Will the defense risk giving the opposing camp a chance to cross-examine him?
https://justpaste.in/news/profile-raymund-lachica-impeachment-trial-missing-link-wildcard/
#confidentialfunds #HouseofRepresentatives #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment #SenateofthePhilippines
Davao City had biggest confidential funds among region’s LGUs in 2023-2024
‘Sana kinuha na nila ang lahat; parang nahiya pa sila! Isang siyudad lang ang kumubra ng mahigit kalahati ng confidential funds sa buong rehiyon,’ says Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega
https://justpaste.in/news/davao-city-biggest-confidential-funds-region-2023-2024/
#BasteDuterte #confidentialfunds #CorruptioninthePhilippines #DavaoCity #DavaodeOro
Why did DOJ’s confidential funds balloon by nearly tenfold in 2025?
‘Ano’ng kababalaghan ang nangyari sa 2025 na lumobo nang sampung beses ang confidential funds ninyo?’ ACT Representative Antonio Tinio asks the DOJ
https://justpaste.in/news/explanation-department-justice-2025-confidential-funds-balloon-tenfold/
#BudgetWatch #confidentialfunds #DepartmentofJustice #governmentbudget #DataandDocuments
Ex-DepEd SDO Fajarda’s appearance at impeachment trial moved to September 7
Edward Fajarda, who suffered a stroke, will have to get the clearance of his neurologist to appear at the impeachment trial on the new date
https://justpaste.in/news/edward-fajarda-appearance-impeachment-trial-moved-september-7-2026/
#confidentialfunds #DepartmentofEducation #SaraDuterteimpeachment #SenateofthePhilippines #NationalNews
Sara Duterte trial: OVP confidential funds request came before written plan
‘Hindi plano ang nagtakda ng halaga. Ang halaga ang nauna, ‘tsaka [inihabol] ang plano,’ prosecutor Mae Divinagracia says
https://justpaste.in/news/sara-duterte-confidential-funds-request-came-before-plan/
#Christianity #confidentialfunds #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment
DOF seeks lower P32-billion budget for 2027 despite lofty revenue goals
The BIR receives nearly two-thirds of the new appropriations, while Customs confidential fund gets slashed back to its 2024 level
https://justpaste.in/news/department-finance-budget-2027/
#BudgetWatch #BureauofCustoms #BureauofInternalRevenue #confidentialfunds #DepartmentofFinance
Sara Duterte trial: Will Raymund Lachica ever take the witness stand?
Acosta’s admission that she handed over confidential funds to somebody else in violation of government rules is significant, but allegations of OVP fund misuse are old news. The prosecution needs a bombshell testimony to sway public opinion, and Lachica could …
https://justpaste.in/news/sara-duterte-trial-will-raymund-lachica-take-witness-stand/
Acosta grilled over scrutiny of OVP confidential funds receipts
Senator-judges grill former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta on the level of due diligence she exercised in examining the documentary evidence for confidential funds liquidation
https://justpaste.in/news/acosta-grilled-scrutiny-office-vice-president-confidential-funds-receipts/
#confidentialfunds #CongressofthePhilippines #DepartmentofEducation #HouseofRepresentatives #Off…
Sara Duterte trial: What was Acosta’s ‘canned answer’ that frustrated the court?
‘I don’t want to hear the template,’ Senator Tito Sotto says of the answers of former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta
https://justpaste.in/news/sara-duterte-trial-gina-acosta-canned-answer-called-out-prosecution/
#confidentialfunds #Court #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment
OVP’s Acosta confirms no official receipts for medical expenses under confidential funds
(1st UPDATE) ‘What is so confidential about where Biogesic or paracetamol was bought?’ prosecutor Amando Virgul Ligutan asks former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta
#confidentialfunds #HouseofRepresentatives #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterte #…
Sara Duterte trial: Where is Ramil Madriaga now in prosecution’s case?
The prosecution called Gina Acosta to take the witness stand but has yet to confront her about her supposed link to Ramil Madriaga
https://justpaste.in/news/where-ramil-madriaga-prosecution-case-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial/
#confidentialfunds #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment #SenateofthePhilippines #EditorsPick
Acosta tells court Sara Duterte ordered P125M turned over to security officer
This isn’t the first time Acosta has named Duterte as the person who gave the instruction, but her admission before the impeachment court carries more weight, says a prosecutor
https://justpaste.in/news/gina-acosta-says-sara-duterte-ordered-turnover-confidential-funds/
#confidentialfunds #Court #HouseofRepresentatives #impeachment #SaraDuterte
Defense explains objection to AI use: We’re just concerned about accuracy
Defense spokesperson Michael Poa also says they saw the prosecution’s point in taking the route
#confidentialfunds #HouseofRepresentatives #OfficeoftheVicePresident #SaraDuterte #SaraDuterteimpeachment
[In This Economy] The 2027 budget: Hocus-pocus prevails once more
[In This Economy] The 2027 budget: Hocus-pocus prevails once more
Corona precedent: Can constitutional provision hamper bid to summon Sara Duterte?
Sara Duterte Trial Moves Through Alias Fight as Grave Threats Case Runs Beside Impeachment
By Cliff Potts, Editor-in-Chief, WPS News
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines, September 7, 2026
Support WPS News:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/WPSNews
Reporting
The impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte resumed Monday with the Senate impeachment court still focused on Article I, the confidential-funds case, while the separate grave threats case against Duterte continued to hang over the proceedings.
The newest trial issue is the use of aliases in confidential-fund transactions. The Philippine News Agency reported Monday that aliases in confidential-fund documents triggered a new dispute over the burden of proof in the impeachment trial. That matters because the prosecution has been trying to show that questionable names and unsupported liquidation documents weaken Duterte’s explanation of how confidential funds were used. The defense, in turn, is pushing back on how much prosecutors must prove and whether the use of aliases is enough to establish misuse or misappropriation (Philippine News Agency, 2026a).
Philstar’s live coverage of Day 22 reported that the Senate resumed Duterte’s impeachment trial at 10 a.m. Monday, September 7. The same coverage noted that Sen. Imee Marcos questioned Michael Poa on how, as chief of staff to then-Education Secretary Duterte, he could claim no involvement in confidential funds until the Commission on Audit became involved (Philstar.com, 2026a).
That keeps the DepEd side of the case alive. Poa has already testified that he had no personal knowledge of how the DepEd confidential funds were actually used, while prosecutors have continued trying to connect officials, paperwork, and fund releases into a coherent chain of responsibility.
Grave Threats Case Continues Separately
The other major development remains Duterte’s separate criminal grave threats case. Reuters reported that Duterte posted bail Saturday after a trial court ordered her arrest on three counts of grave threats tied to her 2024 remarks involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. Bail was set at ₱120,000 per count, or ₱360,000 total (Reuters, 2026a).
That criminal case is separate from the impeachment trial, but it overlaps with the impeachment article involving Duterte’s alleged threats. The important new point is that Senate officials and legal commentators are emphasizing that the two proceedings can continue separately.
Pilipino Star Ngayon reported that the impeachment court clarified that double jeopardy does not apply because impeachment proceedings are separate and different from criminal cases. In plain English, Duterte can face a Senate impeachment trial and a criminal grave threats case without one automatically blocking the other (Pilipino Star Ngayon, 2026).
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian also said the grave threats case has no effect on the impeachment trial. Radyo Pilipinas reported that Gatchalian described the criminal case and impeachment case as separate proceedings, while also urging authorities to take Duterte’s claims about threats to her safety seriously (Radyo Pilipinas, 2026).
Political Analysis
The clean read is this: the impeachment trial did not stop because of the grave threats case, and the grave threats case did not disappear because of the impeachment trial.
That is the real update. Duterte is now fighting on two tracks. In the Senate, the case remains centered on confidential funds, aliases, liquidation documents, and whether prosecutors can prove that public money was mishandled. In the criminal court, the grave threats case is moving separately after the arrest order and bail.
The alias fight is important because it goes to the heart of the confidential-funds defense. Confidential operations may require secrecy, but secrecy cannot mean the government never has to prove who received public money or why. If the prosecution can show that aliases, receipts, and missing documents point to fake or unsupported transactions, Article I gets stronger. If the defense can show that aliases were normal, lawful, and tied to real confidential work, then the prosecution’s case weakens.
For WPS News, the useful headline is simple: the case is no longer just one impeachment story. It is now an impeachment trial, a criminal grave threats case, and a broader fight over whether confidential-fund secrecy can survive audit scrutiny.
APA-Style Source List:
Philippine News Agency. (2026a, September 7). Alias issue sparks burden of proof clash in VP Sara trial.
Philstar.com. (2026a, September 7). LIVE Coverage: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Sept. 7.
Pilipino Star Ngayon. (2026, September 7). Prinsipyo ng “double jeopardy” ’di angkop sa kaso ni VP Sara.
Radyo Pilipinas. (2026, September 7). Grave threats case ni VP Sara Duterte, walang epekto sa impeachment trial — Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.
Reuters. (2026a, September 5). Philippine VP Duterte posts bail after arrest order for alleged grave threats.
#confidentialFunds #graveThreats #impeachmentTrial #MichaelPoa #PhilippineSenate #SaraDuterte #WPSNews
Sara Duterte Posts Bail as Impeachment Trial Stays on the Money Trail
By Cliff Potts, Editor-in-Chief, WPS News
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines, September 6, 2026 — 1235 PHST
Support WPS News:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/WPSNews
Reporting
Vice President Sara Duterte posted bail Saturday after a Quezon City court issued an arrest order in a grave threats case tied to her 2024 remarks involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.
Reuters reported that the arrest order involved three counts of grave threats, with bail set at ₱120,000 per count, or ₱360,000 total. The case stems from Duterte’s November 2024 online remarks, in which she allegedly said she had instructed an assassin to kill Marcos, the First Lady, and Romualdez if she herself were killed (Reuters, 2026a).
Duterte denies making criminal threats and has described the case as harassment. The Associated Press reported that Duterte’s lawyers handled the bail process and that the vice president remains defiant as the criminal case proceeds alongside the Senate impeachment trial (Associated Press, 2026).
Connection to the Impeachment Trial
The grave threats case is separate from the impeachment trial, but it is connected to one of the impeachment articles against Duterte.
The alleged threat remarks were already part of the Senate impeachment case. They are now also part of a criminal proceeding before the regular courts. An arrest order and bail are not a conviction. They mean the criminal case has moved forward procedurally.
Inside the Senate impeachment court, the main evidentiary focus remains Article I: the alleged misuse of confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
Recent testimony has focused on the DepEd portion of the confidential-funds allegations. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported that Michael Poa, Duterte’s former DepEd spokesperson, chief of staff, and finance undersecretary, acknowledged that he could face liability if Duterte is found guilty in connection with the alleged misuse of confidential funds. Poa also said he had no personal knowledge of how the funds were actually used (Inquirer.net, 2026a).
In a separate report, Inquirer said Poa testified that not a single peso of DepEd confidential funds went to military youth leadership summits in 2023, despite those activities being discussed in connection with the department’s confidential-fund justification (Inquirer.net, 2026b).
Political Analysis
The latest developments widen Duterte’s legal and political battlefield. She is now facing the Senate impeachment process while also responding to a criminal grave threats case based on the same public remarks that prosecutors previously used in the impeachment proceeding.
That does not prove the impeachment case, and it does not prove the criminal case. But it does increase the pressure around Duterte at a time when the Senate trial is already moving through the confidential-funds evidence.
The political stakes remain obvious. Duterte is still a major national political figure and a likely 2028 presidential contender. Her supporters are likely to see the criminal case as harassment and political pressure. Her critics are likely to see it as accountability catching up with public threats and disputed fund handling.
For WPS News, the clean read is this: the impeachment trial has not ended, collapsed, or been dismissed. The Senate remains focused on the money trail, while the grave threats issue has now moved into a separate criminal proceeding. The case against Duterte is no longer confined to the impeachment court.
APA-Style Source List:
Associated Press. (2026, September 5). Philippines Vice President Duterte posts bail after arrest order for alleged threats against Marcos.
Inquirer.net. (2026a, September 3). Poa admits he also faces liability if VP found guilty.
Inquirer.net. (2026b, September 2). “Not a single peso” in DepEd secret budget went to youth summits — Poa.
Reuters. (2026a, September 5). Philippine VP Duterte posts bail after arrest order for alleged grave threats.
Reuters. (2026b, September 4). Philippine court issues warrant for VP Duterte’s arrest in grave threats case.
#confidentialFunds #FerdinandMarcosJr #graveThreats #impeachmentTrial #PhilippinesPolitics #SaraDuterte #WPSNews
COA seeks to revise 11-year-old rules on auditing intelligence, confidential funds
[In the Public Square] Two months in: Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial so far
What prompted Escudero’s reminder on digital devices ban at impeachment trial?
What prompted Escudero’s reminder on digital devices ban at impeachment trial?
‘No irregularity’ in use of AFP certification for DepEd confi funds liquidation – defense
Marcos wants P4.58-B confidential funds for 2027 — almost half of proposed OP budget
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.rappler.com/philippines/office-president-2027-budget/
Colonel Raymund Lachica: The ‘missing link,’ and the trial’s wildcard
[Inside the Newsroom] Trust and public funds: why and how we obsess over the national budget
Sara Duterte Trial Tightens Around the Confidential-Funds Chain
By Cliff Potts, Editor-in-Chief, WPS News
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines, August 29, 2026 — 0705 PHST
Support WPS News:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/WPSNews
The Trial Is Still About the Money
Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is still grinding through Article I, the confidential-funds case, and the latest hearings have narrowed the public question to something simple: who knew where the money went?
That is not a small question. Article I accuses Duterte of misusing ₱612.5 million in confidential funds: ₱500 million from the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million from the Department of Education, where she previously served as secretary. After weeks of receipts, audit findings, bank records, and testimony, the case is no longer just about whether public money was released. The question is who controlled it, who handled it, who claimed to spend it, and whether the paperwork can prove any of it. (Vera Files, 2026)
Lachica Becomes Central
The name now sitting near the middle of the money trail is Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, former head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.
Former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta previously testified that she encashed confidential-fund checks and turned over the full ₱500 million to Lachica on Duterte’s instructions. BusinessMirror reported that OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio also testified that Lachica was not an OVP employee but handled confidential funds, based on the information Ortonio relied on in responding to audit issues. (BusinessMirror, 2026)
That testimony matters because it creates a chain: public money was released, encashed, and allegedly transferred to a security official who was not the formal disbursing officer. The defense can still argue that this was part of a confidential-fund process, not proof of misuse. But prosecutors are clearly trying to show that the actual handling of the money bypassed ordinary accountability structures.
The Alias Problem Continues
The trial has also returned repeatedly to the use of aliases and questionable names in confidential-fund documents.
Philstar reported that Acosta testified she did not know who recipients listed as “Pusa” and “Pagong” really were, and that she relied on Lachica’s fund-utilization reports rather than personally witnessing payments to those supposed recipients. (Philstar, 2026a)
That is the part ordinary readers can understand. Confidential funds may require secrecy, but secrecy is not the same thing as blank-check government. If the records list aliases, the Senate still has to know whether those aliases correspond to actual operations, actual people, and actual public purposes.
Court Warns Against Trial by Press Release
The Senate impeachment court is also tightening control over public comments.
The Philippine News Agency reported that Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero put Duterte “on notice” after she issued a public statement while the court was announcing stricter enforcement of Rule 18, which restricts public comments about pending trial matters. (Philippine News Agency, 2026a)
Philstar reported that the impeachment court ruled it would impose penalties on parties making public remarks about the case, the same day Duterte accused prosecutors of relying on “political theatrics.” (Philstar, 2026b)
That does not decide the case, but it changes the atmosphere. The Senate is signaling that it does not want the impeachment trial fought entirely through press conferences, social media posts, and political slogans. That is good in theory. In practice, it will only work if the rule is enforced evenly.
Poa May Take the Stand
The next important turn may involve Michael Wesley Poa, Duterte’s defense spokesperson and former Department of Education official.
The Philippine News Agency reported that prosecutors plan to present Poa and Philippine Statistics Authority Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande as witnesses next week in connection with the DepEd confidential-funds portion of Article I. The House prosecution says Poa’s testimony is relevant to the alleged misuse of the ₱112.5 million in DepEd confidential funds. (Philippine News Agency, 2026b)
The House prosecution has also said it will seek to treat Poa as a hostile witness. That is notable because Poa is not simply a former official. He is part of Duterte’s public-facing defense operation. If the Senate allows that line of testimony, the DepEd portion of the trial could become more politically and legally complicated.
What It Means
The clean read is this: the trial is not exploding, collapsing, or ending. It is tightening.
The case now sits on a practical question: can the prosecution prove that confidential funds were not merely released, but mishandled, misused, or covered by unreliable paperwork? The defense will argue that confidential-fund work does not look like ordinary spending and that audit gaps are not automatic proof of impeachable misconduct.
That is the real fight. Not the noise. Not the slogans. Not the online cheering sections.
If the money trail holds, the case becomes much harder for Duterte to dismiss as politics alone. If the chain breaks, the prosecution may be left with suspicious paperwork and not enough proof. For now, the Senate is still following the money — and the names, aliases, signatures, and witnesses attached to it.
APA-Style Source List:
BusinessMirror. (2026, August 26). Sara security chief Lachica not OVP employee but handled confidential funds.
Philippine News Agency. (2026a, August 26). Impeachment court puts VP Sara on notice over trial remarks.
Philippine News Agency. (2026b, August 26). Prosecution to present Poa, PSA exec in VP Sara impeachment trial.
Philstar.com. (2026a, August 24). Sara Duterte trial recap, Aug. 24: More aliases on receipts, cash trail to Sara’s guard.
Philstar.com. (2026b, August 26). Sara Duterte trial recap, Aug. 26: Sub judice ruling, “Lachica spent funds.”
Vera Files. (2026, August 28). Sara Duterte impeachment trial, Week 8: Who knew where the confidential funds went?
#confidentialFunds #impeachmentTrial #MichaelPoa #PhilippineSenate #RaymundLachica #SaraDuterte #WPSNews
Why did DOJ’s confidential funds balloon by nearly tenfold in 2025?
Ex-DepEd SDO Fajarda’s appearance at impeachment trial moved to September 7
Sara Duterte trial: OVP confidential funds request came before written plan
DOF seeks lower P32-billion budget for 2027 despite lofty revenue goals
https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.rappler.com/business/department-finance-budget-2027/
DOF seeks lower P32-billion budget for 2027 despite lofty revenue goals
https://fed.brid.gy/r/https://www.rappler.com/business/department-finance-budget-2027/
Sara Duterte trial: Will Raymund Lachica ever take the witness stand?
Acosta grilled over scrutiny of OVP confidential funds receipts
Sara Duterte trial: What was Acosta’s ‘canned answer’ that frustrated the court?
Sara Duterte Trial Faces Schedule Shift as Confidential-Funds Case Drags On
By Cliff Potts, Editor-in-Chief, WPS News
BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE, Philippines, August 24, 2026 — 0705 PHST
Support WPS News:
https://www.patreon.com/cw/WPSNews
The Trial Keeps Moving, But Slowly
Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is still moving through the Senate, but the latest developments are less about courtroom fireworks and more about pace, scheduling, and the slow grind of the confidential-funds case.
The House prosecution panel is now backing a proposal to move impeachment hearings to 3 p.m. onward and add Friday trial days to make up for delays. According to the Philippine News Agency, the proposal followed weather-related disruptions that forced the Senate impeachment court to miss proceedings while prosecutors were still presenting evidence under Article I, the article covering Duterte’s alleged misuse and irregular liquidation of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds (Philippine News Agency, 2026a).
That is the plain-English update: no verdict, no collapse, no dismissal. The trial is alive, but it is dragging, and the Senate is now looking for ways to keep the case from being swallowed by weather, legislative work, and calendar pressure.
Article I Still Dominates
The center of the trial remains Article I, the confidential-funds case. That article covers the alleged misuse of ₱500 million in confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million from the Department of Education, where Duterte previously served as secretary.
The prosecution has been building that case with documents, audit findings, bank records, and testimony from people tied to the handling of those funds. Earlier this month, the House prosecution panel brought 15 boxes of documentary evidence to the Senate impeachment court, describing the records as part of its effort to trace the confidential-funds trail (Philippine News Agency, 2026b).
That is not glamorous television, but it is probably where the case lives or dies. The Senate is not being asked merely to judge political speeches or public anger. It is being asked to decide whether the paperwork, withdrawals, liquidation documents, and audit findings prove impeachable misconduct.
Prosecutors Claim a Pattern
The prosecution has also begun framing the fund handling as a possible pattern rather than a one-time paperwork mess. The Philippine News Agency reported that House prosecutors pointed to testimony from former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta and described Duterte as “calling the shots” in the handling of the ₱125 million confidential-fund release (Philippine News Agency, 2026c).
That matters because the prosecution needs more than sloppy documentation. It needs to show responsibility, control, and intent strongly enough to convince senator-judges that the irregularities rise to impeachable conduct.
The defense, for its part, can still argue that confidential-fund rules are complicated, that audit findings are not automatic proof of guilt, and that the prosecution is stretching paperwork disputes into a political conviction effort. That is the real fight under all the noise.
No Trade-Off, Prosecutors Say
The political rumor mill is also running. Prosecutors have denied talk of a supposed trade-off involving Duterte resigning in exchange for being allowed to run in 2028. PNA reported that the House prosecution said it would press ahead with the impeachment trial regardless of such reports (Philippine News Agency, 2026d).
That denial is worth noting because it shows how much of this trial is happening outside the formal courtroom. There is the evidence fight inside the Senate, and then there is the political fight over whether Duterte remains viable for 2028.
Finish Before December?
The House side is also looking at the calendar. A House press release said prosecutors are targeting an end-September wrap-up for their evidence presentation and support finishing the trial before December, though Senate leadership has acknowledged the proceedings could still spill into next year (House of Representatives, 2026).
That is the big picture now: the prosecution wants speed, the Senate needs order, and the defense benefits from time if delay weakens public attention or political momentum.
For WPS News, the clean read is this: the Sara Duterte impeachment trial is no longer in its opening-drama phase. It is in the long, tedious, essential phase where records, testimony, and scheduling discipline decide whether the case becomes a serious accountability proceeding or collapses into another Philippine political marathon.
APA-Style Source List:
House of Representatives of the Philippines. (2026, August 21). House prosecution targets end-September evidence wrap-up, backs VP Sara trial completion before December.
Philippine News Agency. (2026a, August 19). Prosecution backs 3 p.m. impeachment hearings, Friday trial day.
Philippine News Agency. (2026b, August 3). Prosecution presents 15 boxes containing confidential fund records.
Philippine News Agency. (2026c, August 18). Prosecution: VP Sara “calling the shots” in ₱125M secret fund handling.
Philippine News Agency. (2026d, August 17). No “trade-off” on VP Sara impeachment – prosecution.
#confidentialFunds #DepartmentOfEducation #impeachmentTrial #OfficeOfTheVicePresident #PhilippineSenate #SaraDuterte #WPSNews
How much Northern Mindanao cities, provinces set aside for confidential funds
Shady expenses
We should stop funding their confidence for corruption.
The post Shady expenses appeared first on Bulatlat.
https://www.bulatlat.com/2026/08/11/shady-expenses/
#bulatlat #philippines #MartinsPurrspective #Confidentialfunds #Corruption #ImpeachmentagainstSaraDuterte #Martin #Martinspurrspective #Saraduterteimpeachment
Beyond Sara: Confidential funds run deep in local governments
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