Daven Tamayo

COA, NBI findings point to probable cause to impeach Duterte — lawmakers

Article (news)

Vivienne Gulla

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — There may be &quot;probable cause&quot; to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte for alleged misuse of confidential funds after the Commission on Audit affirmed its Notice of Disallowance on P73 million of the Office of the Vice President&#x27;s confidential expenses in December 2022, three lawmakers said.</p><p>During the Tuesday hearing of the 40-member House Committee on Justice, the COA also disclosed that it issued a Notice of Disallowance for P375 million in the OVP&#x27;s confidential expenses for three quarters of 2023.</p><p>Panel chairperson Gerville Luistro of Batangas, and members Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua believe these developments add weight to the allegation of confidential fund misuse.</p><p>Duterte has long denied the allegations, saying the issues being raised against her are politically motivated.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/15/sara-duterte-says-madriaga-cannot-even-weave-a-believable-lie-0947">&#x27;They cannot even weave a believable lie&#x27;: Sara Duterte takes issue with Madriaga&#x27;s law school claims<br/></a></div><p>She has also said that the House should focus on more important issues like addressing the energy crisis caused by the US and Israel&#x27;s war against Iran.</p><p>Ridon said he believes probable cause in the allegation of funds misuse has already been &quot;established&quot; by the COA notices.</p><p>&quot;Mabigat po talaga ‘yung finality ng COA finding, kung saan ang ipinapasoli na po mismo, ang ating pangalawang pangulo ng P73 million sa 2022 confidential funds, dahil po sa maling paggamit,&quot; Ridon said.</p><p>(The finality of the COA really has weight. You are telling the vice president to return P73 million from the 2022 confidential funds because of misuse.)</p><p>Chua, speaking on &quot;Headstart&quot;, said that even discounting the testimony of Ramil Madriaga — a kidnapping suspect who claims to have been Duterte&#x27;s bagman — the COA&#x27;s findings already pose a problem for Duterte.</p><p>Luistro said “there is a possibility that this will be considered by the justice [committee] members to say that there is probable cause already.”</p><p>Ridon added the National Bureau of Investigation finding &quot;similarities in handwriting characters&quot; in a number of acknowledgement receipts for the confidential funds and<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/14/psa-reiterates-it-has-no-records-of-mary-grace-piattos-kokoy-villamin-2046"> the Philippine Statistics Authority&#x27;s reiteration that it has no records of “Mary Grace Piattos”</a> and other alleged confidential fund recipients also bolster the allegation.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/14/nbi-finds-similarities-in-signatures-handwriting-tied-to-vp-duterte-s-confidential-funds-1730">NBI finds similarities in signatures, handwriting tied to VP Duterte’s confidential funds<br/></a></div><p>“Panghuli syempre, ‘yung testimonya ni Ramil Madriaga kung saan sinasabi niya na mayroon siyang ginawang pagtanggap at pagdeliver ng duffle bag sa tatlong separate locations supposedly containing cash from confidential funds,” he also said.</p><p>(And, of course, Ramil Madriaga&#x27;s testimony that he received abd delivered duffle bags supposedly containing cash from confidential funds on three separate occasions)</p><p>Chua said that the PSA&#x27;s certification should be enough to establish that &quot;Mary Grace Piattos&quot; and the others do not exist.</p><p>“Now ‘yung burden of proof, na ito sila nag-exist, nasa respondent,” he added.</p><p>(Now, the burden of proof that they exist is on the respondent)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;RESPOND TO MADRIAGA TESTIMONY BEFORE COMMITTEE&#x27;</strong></div><p>Luistro said she does not want to preempt the members of the committee, but added that unless Duterte and her team manage to counter the points raised, “there is really a possibility that this testimony of Madriaga will suffice the requirement of probable cause.”</p><p>She added statements and evidence disputing Madriaga&#x27;s claims should be presented before the committee.</p><p>She issued the statement in response to a claim disputing Madriaga’s statement that the painting behind Duterte in a video conference was his gift.</p><p>“I think regardless of the counter-statement, counter-proof, counter-proof, counter evidence, which is being posted in social media, if not properly presented before the justice committee, how will the justice [commitee] members consider the same?” Luistro said.</p><p>She added Duterte, who has questioned the proceedings before the Supreme Court, has been given a chance to address each witnesses&#x27; testimony as she urged the vice president to participate in the process.</p><p>“We maintain our position that what we are doing is not a trial. This is a clarificatory hearing which only purpose is the determination of probable cause,” she also said.  </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NEXT HEARING<br/></strong></div><p>Luistro said the committee has yet to receive any motion from members to have Madriaga attend the next hearing.</p><p>“So unless the members will be initiating to call again Ramil Madriaga, then we might be focusing only on the unexplained wealth,” she explained.</p><p>The House Committee on Justice will turn its attention to allegations of unexplained wealth against Duterte in its next hearing on April 22.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/14/house-justice-panel-orders-to-subpoena-trillanes-to-appear-in-next-duterte-impeachment-hearing-1854">House justice panel orders to subpoena Trillanes to appear in next Duterte impeachment hearing<br/></a></div><p>It will focus on her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), as well as corporate and tax records from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Bureau of Internal Revenue.</p><p>The committee also granted motions to subpoena the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to give statements on allegedly anomalous or suspicious bank transactions.</p>

<p>Panel chairperson Gerville Luistro of Batangas, and members Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua believe these developments add weight to the allegation of confidential fund misuse.</p>

Panel chairperson Gerville Luistro of Batangas, and members Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon and Manila 3rd District Rep. Joel Chua believe these developments add weight to the allegation of confidential fund misuse.