Palace press officer Claire Castro said Vice President Sara Duterte maintained command-and-control over a 125 million peso [1] confidential fund.
The statement targets the core of the current impeachment proceedings in Manila. By establishing that the Vice President held direct authority over the funds, the Palace seeks to solidify the legal basis for her personal accountability regarding their alleged misuse.
Castro said the remarks on the 17th day [2] of the impeachment trial. The proceedings are focused on whether the 125 million pesos [1] were handled according to government regulations or diverted for unauthorized purposes.
According to Castro, the structure of the fund's management ensured that Duterte remained the primary decision-maker. This command-and-control relationship means that responsibility for the disbursement, and reporting of the money, rests with the Vice President rather than subordinate officials.
The trial has highlighted tensions within the administration and between high-ranking officials. The Palace's insistence on this chain of command serves to isolate the Vice President's responsibility in the eyes of the court.
Castro's testimony adds a critical layer to the evidence being presented in the trial. If the court accepts that Duterte had total control, it removes the possibility of the Vice President blaming administrative errors by staff for the missing or misused funds.
Reports indicate that the trial continues to examine the financial records of the Office of the Vice President. The 125 million pesos [1] in question remain the primary focal point of the prosecution's case as they attempt to prove a breach of public trust.
“VP Sara had the command-and-control”
This development signals a strategic shift by the Malacañang Palace to distance the broader administration from the Vice President's financial dealings. By explicitly linking the 'command-and-control' of the confidential funds to Sara Duterte, the government is narrowing the scope of accountability to a single individual, potentially accelerating the impeachment process by simplifying the legal argument regarding authority and oversight.
