Two properties in the Davao Region valued at nearly P10 million and registered in the name of Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband, Manases Carpio, were not declared in her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALNs), according to two registers of deeds. Kathy Baldonado, Davao City register of deeds, and Marco Pineda, acting register...
Tag: Vice President Sara Duterte
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The most consequential number in Philippine politics
Sometimes history turns on wars, elections and revolutions. Sometimes it turns on a denominator. The Senate impeachment court is confronting what initially appears to be a question of arithmetic: How many votes are required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte? Sixteen? Or can the number change if some senators are legally or practically unable to...
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Ex-Sandigan chief testifies on unexplained wealth in Duterte impeachment trial
Retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang told the Senate impeachment court on Monday, Sept. 14, that the Constitution imposes stricter rules on the president and vice president’s financial engagements to prevent potential abuse of power. “There is a greater possibility of abuse given their positions,” she said, citing a Supreme Court ruling in the case...
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No DepEd funds for Army youth programs, colonels tell impeachment court
Two Army officials stated Tuesday that their units received no confidential or regular funds in 2023 from the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte for anti-insurgency and anti-terrorism programs for the youth, contrary to its claim. They also told the Senate impeachment court that DepEd officials requested that the certifications they issued...
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Only Duterte, security aide knew use of secret funds, says witness
Amid allegations of misuse, only Vice President Sara Duterte and her former security aide, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, knew how her controversial ₱500 million in confidential funds were used, her deputy chief of staff told the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Lemuel Ortonio made the admission at the conclusion of his testimony before...
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Informants, agents paid in cash from Duterte secret funds, says witness
Using confidential funds, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) paid its informants and agents in cash, which they used to purchase food, medicines, chairs, and other supplies. OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio disclosed this to the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday, in response to the absence of official receipts for the office’s multimillion-peso confidential...
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More odd-sounding names of Duterte secret fund ‘recipients’ listed
More familiar and odd-sounding names surfaced as supposed recipients of million-peso confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte during the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday, Aug. 11. DepEd special disbursing officer (SDO) Edward Fajarda was also found as having disbursed cash...
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Duterte’s office failed to back ₱125M in secret funds, says state auditor
Vice President Sara Duterte’s office failed to submit the required documents to the Commission on Audit (COA) on its use of ₱125 million in confidential funds, which was spent in 11 days in 2022, a COA auditor told the Senate impeachment trial on Monday, Aug. 3. It even spent ₱50 million, which was not allowed...
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House impeaches VP Duterte again, votes to send her case to the Senate for trial
For the second time, and now with an overwhelming majority, the House of Representatives voted on Monday to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte on accusations of misuse of confidential funds, unexplained wealth, and threats to have President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. killed. Duterte is the first Filipino official to be impeached twice. The first time was in 2025, with...
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Unanimous vote for articles of impeachment vs VP Duterte
The impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte is one step away from being tried in the Senate, with the House justice committee unanimously approving on Monday the committee report finding probable cause to impeach her. It took almost two hours before 55 members of the committee voted unanimously for the amended committee report and...