Jamaine Punzalan

The Senate, sitting as an Impeachment Court, resumed its hearing Monday, August 3, 2026, 
Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit

Article (news)

VP Sara Impeachment

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

Allison Co

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178582610506320260804-senate-impeachment-day12-SSMU-19.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Senate, sitting as an Impeachment Court, resumed its hearing Monday, August 3, 2026, Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit </span></span></span>MANILA —  Atty. Michael Poa of the defense team on Tuesday sought to rebut the prosecution’s claim that only Vice President Sara Duterte was granted confidential funds, presenting a 2014 budget document.</div><p>The document showed the Office of the Vice President (OVP) had received a confidential fund allocation years before Duterte assumed office. </p><p>During the cross-examination of Commission on Audit (COA) auditor Roderick Wamil, the defense presented a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) dated December 22, 2014 issued by the Department of Budget and Management authorizing the release of funds “to cover confidential activities for Fiscal Year 2014.”</p><p>The document was introduced after Wamil testified on Monday during direct examination saying that Duterte was the only vice president whose office&#x27;s confidential funds he audited while serving at the COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO).</p><p>Wamil, now an audit team leader at the COA Pasay office, said he was assigned to the ICFAO from September 2014 until February 2024.</p><p>He testified that during his stint, three vice presidents served — former Vice Presidents Jejomar Binay and Leni Robredo, and incumbent Vice President Duterte.</p><p>“Tanging si Vice President Sara Duterte lang po ’yung aking na-audit na may confidential fund,” Wamil said.</p><p>He explained that Binay and Robredo did not receive confidential fund appropriations during the period he audited.</p><p>“Dahil po since nung nag-assume po ako nung 2014 sa ICFAO, wala pong naging appropriation for confidential funds si dating Vice President Binay at si dating Vice President Robredo. Tanging si Vice President Sara Duterte lang yung nagkaroon ng appropriation for the confidential funds,” he testified.</p><p>The defense, however, pointed to the December 22, 2014 SARO as proof that the OVP had confidential fund releases before Duterte became vice president in 2022.</p><p>&quot;Maybe you were not just aware [of the 2014 SARO] yesterday when your were asked the question,&quot; Poa told Wamil.  </p><p>&quot;I just wanted to put that on record because marami na rin pong lumalabas sa social media na si Vice President Sara Duterte lang ang vice president na nagkaroon ng confidential funds,&quot; Poa added. </p><p>However, House Deputy Speaker Rep. Janette Garin dismissed the move as a diversionary tactic.</p><p>“Pilit na nililihis ang usapin doon sa talagang dapat pag-usapan,” she said.</p><p>“The issue here is nabigyan ka ng pondo, mayroong guidelines joint circular number 15 kung saan siya pwedeng gamitin at ano yung output na kailangan. Yan ay hindi matumbok hanggang ngayon.”</p><p>Prosecution spokesperson Jay Tolosa said it would ultimately be up to the impeachment court to determine whether the document, which has yet to be authenticated, would have any bearing on Wamil&#x27;s testimony.</p><p>“But again, we&#x27;ll leave it to the impeachment court kung sa tingin nila yung ganyang klaseng bagay, will it really materially affect the substance of his testimony.”</p><div><br style="caret-color:rgb(0, 0, 0);color:rgb(0, 0, 0)"/></div><div><strong>1992 COA CIRCULAR</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Poa also brought up a 1992 COA circular governing confidential and intelligence funds.</p><p>He said the document states that intelligence and confidential activities “are highly sensitive and confidential operations or missions the details of which cannot be divulged without posing a threat to national security or to the success of the mission.”</p><p>But counsel to prosecution Lorna Kapunan noted that the &quot;joint circular cited by this witness (Wamil) is dated 2015&quot; and &quot;supersedes this circular cited by counsel for respondent, which is dated 1992.&quot; </p><p>The senator-judges are set to begin their interpellation of Wamil on Wednesday, August 5.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/4/witness-flags-violations-in-ovp-confidential-fund-use-1239">Witness flags &#x27;violations&#x27; in OVP confidential fund use</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/4/kapunan-says-ovp-deped-use-of-confidential-funds-a-scam-1349"></a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/4/kapunan-says-ovp-deped-use-of-confidential-funds-a-scam-1349">Kapunan says OVP, DepEd use of confidential funds a &#x27;scam&#x27;; defense objects</a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/4/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-day-12-0945"></a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/4/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-day-12-0945">LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Impeachment Trial (Day 12)</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1FMjaZok9Fg?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>Atty. Michael Poa of the defense team on Tuesday sought to rebut the prosecution’s claim that only Vice President Sara Duterte was granted confidential funds, presenting a 2014 budget document.</p>

Atty. Michael Poa of the defense team on Tuesday sought to rebut the prosecution’s claim that only Vice President Sara Duterte was granted confidential funds, presenting a 2014 budget document.

Defense cites 2014 OVP confidential fund release to challenge prosecution in Duterte impeachment trial

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Defense cites 2014 OVP confidential fund release to challenge prosecution in Duterte impeachment trial

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

Allison Co,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 04, 2026 02:53 PM PHT

|

Updated August 04, 2026 04:47 PM PHT

Read More:

Impeachment

Vice President

Sara Duterte

Confidential funds

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