The Senate impeachment court, acting on a request from the House prosecution panel on Wednesday, issued subpoenas for two state auditors and a legislative department director set to testify in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte next week.
Lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Representative Gerville Luistro requested summonses for Roderick Wamil, former state auditor for the Commission on Audit (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Office (ICFAO), and Celine May Del Campo, the current state auditor for COA-ICFAO.
“The clerk of court is directed to issue the corresponding subpoena at testificandum, subpoena duces tecum to the aforementioned witnesses at the afore-stated addresses of the witnesses mentioned by the lead prosecutor, so ordered,” announced Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero, presiding officer of the impeachment court.
The court also subpoenaed Marivic Pareja, Director of the Legislative Information Resources Management Department of the House of Representatives, located at the Batasang Pambansa Complex in Quezon City.
“Your honor, these three witnesses are intended to be presented on August 3, August 4, and August 5 trial schedules,” Luistro stated.
The prosecution panel opened its case on Wednesday regarding Article I, which alleges that Duterte committed culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust through the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
COA records indicate that Duterte spent ₱500 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President and an additional ₱112.5 million during her tenure at the Department of Education.