MANILA: Civil society leaders have filed multiple criminal complaints — including plunder, bribery, malversation, and graft — against Vice President Sara Duterte and 15 others over the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds.
A coalition of priests, academics, rights advocates and journalists, including Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, Fr. Roberto Reyes, and economist and former DOF Undersecretary Dr. Maria Cielo Magno, lodged the complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman on Friday (Dec 12) afternoon.
The complainants claimed that respondents committed violations of Section 2 of the Republic Act (RA) No. 7080 as amended by RA 7659 (plunder); Article 219 and 212 of the Revised Penal Code (bribery and corruotion of public officials); Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code (malversation); Section 2(a) and (e) of the RA 3019 (graft); and Article XI, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution (betrayal of public trust).
Aside from Duterte, the respondents named in the complaint are the following persons:
- Zuleika T. Lopez Undersecretary and Chief of Staff (Office of the Vice President)
- Lemuel G. Ortonio Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff, (OVP)
- Rosalynne L. Sanchez, Director for Administrative and Financial Services, (OVP)
- Julieta L. Villadelrey Chief Accountant (OVP)
- Gina F. Acosta Special Disbursing Officer (OVP)
- Col. Raymund Dante P. Lachica Commander, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group
- Michael Wesley T. Poa Former Undersecretary, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Secretary, and
- Head of Procuring Entity (Department of Education)
- Sunshine Charry A. Fajarda Director for Strategic Management Office and Former Assistant Secretary (DepEd)
- Undersecretary Annalyn M. Sevilla Undersecretary for Finance Service, Project Management Service, Education Program Management Service, Government Assistance and Subsidies Office (DepEd)
- Gloria Mercado, former Head of Procurement Entity and Undersecretary for Human Resources and Regional Development (DepEd)
- Ma. Rhunna L. Catalan Chief Accountant (DepEd)
- Edward D. Fajarda, former Special Disbursing Officer (DepEd)
- Ret. Maj. Gen. Nolasco A. Mempin, former Undersecretary for Administration (DepEd)
- Lt. Col. Dennis Nolasco member of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group
- John Does
The complaint alleged that the ₱612.5 million confidential funds were “diverted, misused and concealed through coordinated schemes” carried out across the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education, which Duterte headed from 2022 to June 2024.
Broken down, the amount covers P500 million CFs allocated to OVP in 2022 and 2023 and P112.5 million during the time when she was the head of DepEd.
In September 2024, Marikina 2nd District Rep. Stella Quimbo confirmed that the P125 million CF of the OVP in 2022 was spent in just 11 days — quicker than the initial reports of 19 days.
INQUIRER has reached out to the camp of the vice president, but it has yet to respond as of posting time. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
