Former Land Bank of the Philippines managers testified that large cash withdrawals from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) were unusual [1].
The testimony comes amid a Senate investigation into how Vice President Sara Duterte managed confidential funds. Because these funds are intended for security and intelligence, the scale and frequency of the cash removals have raised questions about whether the money was misused.
Violeta Constantino, a retired Land Bank manager, said the cash withdrawals were unusual [3]. Other former bank managers testified that total cash withdrawals from the OVP between 2022 and 2023 amounted to P612.5 million [1]. However, other reports from the Philippine News Agency indicate that the OVP made four separate cash withdrawals of PHP125 million each [2].
The discrepancy in the total amounts remains a point of scrutiny for the Senate. The witnesses described the process of removing such large sums of currency as atypical for government agency operations, an observation that mirrors statements made by an alleged bagman for the Vice President [5].
Despite the unusual nature of the transactions, some testimony suggests the paperwork was in order. An unnamed prosecution witness said the withdrawal of P125 million was unusual but the transaction was legitimate [4].
This conflict in testimony highlights the tension between the legal legitimacy of the bank transactions and the operational propriety of the withdrawals. The Senate continues to examine whether the OVP followed standard protocols for the disbursement of confidential funds during the period in question.
“The cash withdrawals were unusual.”
The investigation centers on the distinction between a 'legitimate' transaction—one that satisfies bank requirements—and a 'proper' use of public funds. By flagging the withdrawals as unusual, former bank officials are providing the Senate with a baseline of standard banking behavior to determine if the OVP's financial activities deviated from government norms to avoid oversight.
