House prosecution panel member and Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon accused Vice President Sara Duterte’s legal team of deliberately shifting the blame for alleged confidential fund misuse to rank-and-file staff from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
Speaking at a news forum in Quezon City, Ridon argued that pinning liability on Special Disbursing Officers (SDOs) and accountants violates the core principle that agency heads hold ultimate accountability for public funds.
Article I of the Articles of Impeachment covers ₱612.5 million in confidential funds, which includes ₱500 million allocated to the OVP between late 2022 and mid-2023, along with ₱112.5 million allocated to DepEd during Duterte’s tenure as Education Secretary.
”Hindi ho natin puwedeng sabihin na yung [SDO] lang yung pwede hong itali dito po sa maling paggamit ng confidential funds. Hindi ho natin puwedeng sabihin na yung accountant lang yung puwede ho natin itali sa disbursement of confidential funds,” Ridon noted.
The lawmaker emphasized that while SDOs physically handle disbursements, they cannot release funds without top-level authorization.
”Huwag ho tayong magbolahan dito na pwede ikulong lang, pwedeng ilaglag lang yung ordinaryong kawani nang hindi po pinapanagot, yung pinakatuktok yun hong hepe ng particular na opisina ng OVP,” Ridon asserted. “Kailangan po ng pirma ng head of agency. Walang lalabas na pera, walang tseke na mai-issue pag wala hong pirma ng head of agency.”
Ridon cited trial testimonies and Commission on Audit (COA) findings to highlight that Duterte exercised direct command over the allocations, pointing out that missing documentation reinforces her absolute control over the office’s spending.
”Ang sabi ho ng mga taong ito, the final green light to disburse the confidential funds was made by the VP herself,” he said. “Walang kaukulang dokumento para patunayan kung bakit naglabas ng ganitong kalaking pera. So ibig sabihin, malinaw ho yung absolute control, absolute authority ng Pangalawang Pangulo not just on the disbursement of confidential funds but absolute authority over the office itself.”
Concluding his remarks, Ridon rejected any defense strategy that sacrifices lower-level staff to shield agency leadership.
”Ito po ay mga ordinaryong kawani ng OVP. I do not think, ladies and gentlemen, these particular personalities can in fact be able to dispense, disburse confidential funds without the final authority from the VP,” Ridon stated.