Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila De Lima on Tuesday told the House Committee on Justice that Vice President Sara Duterte is the alleged “ultimate responsible officer” for the supposed misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds at the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.

De Lima endorsed the third impeachment complaint accusing Duterte of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust for allegedly amassing and converting at least ₱500 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, and ₱112.5 million allocated to DepEd for fiscal year 2023.

In her manifestation, De Lima said the Vice President is the accountable officer for all disbursements involving the confidential funds.

She said the complaint states that no disbursement could occur without Duterte’s approval and also alleges that she directed the preparation, encashment and delivery of the funds.

Citing audit findings and certifications attached to the complaint, De Lima argued that the funds were not used for legitimate confidential or intelligence purposes.

Based on audit observation memoranda issued by the Commission on Audit, the funds were not actually used for legitimate confidential and intelligence purposes but were “wrongly disbursed to the wrong persons and for the wrong purposes,” she said.

She cited expenditures for “safe houses, sa tables and chairs, sa laptops,” calling them “a misuse of confidential funds alongside ‘yung pagtatakip rin.”

De Lima also alleged obstruction of oversight when documents were requested from state auditors.

“Remember when the committee then requested from COA any finding, any certification with respect to the spending of the OVP’s funds, pinigilan pa nga ito ng kanyang Chief of Staff na huwag gawin ng COA. This is a form of obstruction and that is under her instructions,” she said.

She emphasized that some documents attached to the complaint bear the Vice President’s signature.

“These were approved by the Vice President herself. May pirma siya sa certain documents as attached,” De Lima said.

“So I don’t see the validity of the argument na walang proof, na may kinalaman si VP sa paggastos na nang mali ng confidential funds ng Office of the Vice President,” she added.

De Lima maintained that if the allegations are hypothetically admitted as true, they amount to culpable violation of the Constitution, plunder and/or malversation, graft and corruption, other high crimes and betrayal of public trust.