00:00Vice President Sara Duterte could be held responsible for the complaints of plunder or technical malversation
00:08related to the use of her confidential funds.
00:12According to some lawmakers,
00:14it is shameful to say that the people of BICE are just following their boss' orders
00:20regarding the distribution of funds.
00:23Jonathan Andal has a point.
00:25The special disbursement officer of the Office of the Vice President, Gina Acosta, was rushed to the hospital last night
00:36in the midst of questions from members of the House Good Government and Public Accountability Committee
00:42investigating the confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte.
00:46I am asking, ma'am, why are you asking?
00:50Because I really don't know who Kukoy Bilyamin and Grace Piatos are.
01:01Because Sir La Chica is the one on the ground.
01:05He is the one who is performing.
01:07I just did my make-up.
01:09When I went to the hospital, he told me that I have an acknowledgment receipt, ma'am.
01:14But ma'am, that is your job as a special disbursement officer.
01:20Yes, ma'am.
01:21But my boss has an order, ma'am, that I will release to Sir La Chica, ma'am.
01:27Vice President Duterte is the one who ordered him to give the P125 million pesos
01:33to a Colonel La Chica who is a member of the VPSPG or Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.
01:39But congressmen are wondering why the confidential funds will be given to a Colonel.
01:45Because Ma'am Inday Sara has an order that I will release to her.
01:50Because she is the one who knows how to implement the programs and activities in line with the confidential funds.
02:00She is the one who will do the surveillance and monitoring.
02:05To her, I don't know anything.
02:07On the death edge, the former disbursement officer, Edward Fajarda,
02:11admitted that he is giving the confidential funds to another Colonel, Dennis Nolasco.
02:15But congressmen said that it is not right that the disbursing officer is not the one
02:20who is giving the confidential funds to the one who should be giving it.
02:24In the end, it is a command responsibility.
02:28And we can see that all of them are just obeying the orders of our Vice President.
02:39So in the end, if there is a violation of the law, if there is a need for an answer,
02:50our Vice President should take responsibility for the lack of it.
02:55That could be malversation proper or worse, plunder because it is more than P50 million.
03:01If you use the budget for others, no matter how lawful it is, that is technical malversation.
03:08Fajarda's wife, Atty. Sunshine Fajarda, former DepEd Assistant Secretary,
03:13did not answer the requests that she was given an envelope with money
03:18from some DepEd officials back then.
03:20Like the allegation of former DepEd Undersecretary Gloria Mercado,
03:24who was given an envelope with P50,000 every month.
03:28Is it true that you gave them money?
03:33There were actually some crimes that were mentioned.
03:36And as such, if I'm going to answer those allegations, Mr. Chair, respectfully,
03:41I would want to answer them in a proper forum wherein I will be able to present my defenses
03:45based on the completeness of the said allegations, Mr. Chair.
03:48Another allegation of Mr. Fajarda, he was sending money to bank accounts
03:53of some DepEd Superintendents under the orders of Vice President Duterte.
03:57Mary Grace Piatos was also mentioned.
03:59She was the one who signed some acknowledgement receipts for confidential funds.
04:03But congressmen doubted if she was a real person.
04:06There is a Piatos surname.
04:12Do you know Mary Grace Piatos?
04:17No, I don't know her, ma'am.
04:21But you said that you are allowed because there is a Piatos surname.
04:25Where did you see a Piatos surname?
04:28We have one in Davao, ma'am.
04:30The four OVP staff were allowed to go home or were given a furlough
04:34even if they have a contempt order.
04:36They were promised to be brought to the next hearing.
04:39VP Sara's two staff are currently in the hospital,
04:42Gina Acosta and Atty. Zulaica Lopez.
04:44Congressmen say that they still expect the two staff
04:48to become the vice president in the next hearing on Friday.
04:52For GMA Integrated News, Jonathan Andal for 24 Hours.
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