Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon has dismissed assertions that the allegations surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte are driven by political motives.
Ridon, who serves on the impeachment prosecution panel, emphasized that the charges originate directly from Duterte’s own public statements, directives regarding confidential funds, and submitted financial records detailing her assets.
He pointed out that key testimonies and official documents presented during the proceedings clearly support the allegations regarding her involvement in fund transfers and subsequent accounting discrepancies.
“So this has been something that is being stated not just by the vice president but also by her spokespersons na lahat ng kaso ay politikal. Hindi po ito totoo,” he said.
He further explained that specific evidence anchors the complaints, ranging from statements linked to a grave threats case to irregular patterns in fund utilization and unexplained wealth.
“Kung wala tayong nakitang red flags dito sa paggamit ng confidential funds, wala naman ang pillar on confidential funds misuse dito sa impeachment proceedings and trial na meron tayo,” he underscored.
Highlighting critical testimony, Ridon referenced former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, who testified during an August 17 hearing that Duterte personally instructed her to turn over ₱125 million to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica.
Ridon noted that this account directly traces the chain of command, showing why scrutiny must extend past the subordinates who handled the physical cash.
According to Ridon, the prosecution has detailed every aspect of how a total of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds—comprising ₱500 million for the OVP and ₱112.5 million for the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s tenure—was processed, disbursed, and reported.
The prosecution also highlighted major red flags in the liquidation documents, including suspicious names on acknowledgment receipts such as “Mary Grace Piattos.”
Testimony from Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Assistant National Statistician Marizza Grande on September 7 revealed that out of 2,669 submitted names, 1,685 (roughly 63%) had no matching official registry records. Additionally, 37 names matched deceased individuals, while 25 matched minors.
Ridon stressed that these official records and witness testimonies demonstrate why the Vice President must be held accountable.
“Ang nag-generate ng ebidensya para sa lahat ng ito, whether in the criminal proceeding and impeachment proceeding, ang Pangalawang Pangulo mismo,” he pointed out.