House prosecutor Leila de Lima said confidential funds are not exempt from transparency and accountability as the House prosecution panel began presenting evidence and witnesses for Article I of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
In her opening statement, De Lima stressed that the confidential classification of the ₱612.5 million entrusted to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) does not exempt the handling of public funds from constitutional standards of accountability.
She said the allocation of a budget for confidential operations does not remove the obligation of government officials to properly account for public money.
De Lima also cited the constitutional principle that “public office is a public trust,” saying it applies to all government officials regardless of whether the funds involved are classified as confidential.
According to De Lima, confidentiality is intended to protect legitimate operations and confidential informants, but it should not be used to justify the creation of names or documents.
She compared the handling of public funds to how families carefully decide where to spend their limited budgets, saying that if ordinary households are expected to use their money wisely, government officials should be held to the same standard.
The House prosecution panel presented its evidence and witnesses in support of Article I of the impeachment complaint, which involves the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the OVP and the Department of Education.
Before De Lima could finish her opening statement, the defense panel raised an objection through lawyer Michael Poa.
Poa argued that the prosecution’s presentation already contained conclusions of fact and law, which he said could influence public opinion before all evidence is presented.
The proceedings continued after the defense registered its objection before the impeachment court.
