The House Committee on Good Governance has recommended to formally charge Vice President Sara Duterte with plunder and other graft related cases.
The charges are related to the alleged anomalous use of confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
According to the committee report read by Chairman Joel Chua, other officials and former officials from OVP and DepEd, including Chief-of-staff Attorney Zuleika Lopez, are also being recommended to be charged.
They also recommended filing of more charges against them including technical malversation, falsification, bribery, and graft and corruption.
The House of Representatives has approved the committee report on their last hearing before the conclusion of the 19th congress.
The allegations stemmed from the supposed irregular spending of 612.5 million pesos in confidential funds by OVP and DepEd in 2022 and 2023.
Lawmakers are also proposing amendments to the Secrecy of Bank Deposits Law to allow Congress to access government fund bank accounts for investigation.
(Inday Sara Duterte photo)
Abner is an award-winning journalist. He received the prestigious 2015 Titus Brandsma Award for Community Communication in the Philippines and participated in the 2016 International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) of the United States of America, sponsored by the US Embassy in the Philippines. Founder of WATCH NORTH COTABATO, a media-citizens’ transparency group. He worked as a correspondent for the Philippine Daily Inquirer and CNN Philippines. His experience in broadcasting includes anchoring for Brigada News FM in Kidapawan and General Santos City and Brigada News TV. He anchors Tira Brigada via 105.1 Brigada News FM Manila, Mondays-Saturdays.