00:05Where did Sarah Duterte's 612 million pesos in confidential funds go?
00:10The prosecution asks this question at the vice president's impeachment trial.
00:14Duterte's defense team says there's a reason why the OVP spent 125 million pesos in 11 days.
00:20A journalist's group criticizes Sarah Duterte for denigrating Philippine media
00:24and promoting social media as a truth platform.
00:27The Sandigan Bayan denies the Ombudsman's request to drop former Public Works Chief Manuel Bonoan
00:32as Jingo Estrada's co-accused in a graft case.
00:35And the Energy Regulatory Commission allows Meralco to recover 8.7 billion pesos in uncollected costs,
00:42including 595 million pesos in system loss charges.
00:53The prosecution in Vice President Sarah Duterte's impeachment trial focuses on the question
00:58where did Sarah Duterte's 612 million pesos in confidential funds go?
01:02The prosecution brings 15 boxes labeled confidential funds to today's presentation
01:07as well as witness Roderick Wamil, a state auditor who undertook the auditing of confidential funds.
01:12Wamil notes the cash advance in the liquidation report on the confidential expenses of the OVP
01:16for the fourth quarter of 2022 only took 11 days to be disbursed.
01:21The witness also flags discrepancy in dates.
01:24Private Prosecutor Lorna Capunan also brings up the infamous Mary Grace Piatos
01:28along with other recipients during the presentation of acknowledgement receipts or ARs
01:33issued by the supposed recipients of these funds.
01:55The documents are among those flagged by the Commission on Audit
01:58for purportedly failing to comply with the requirements set under the Joint Circular
02:02governing the use of confidential funds.
02:07Vice President Sarah Duterte's defense team reiterates
02:10there's an explanation for the 125 million peso funds of the office of the Vice President
02:15flagged by the Commission on Audit.
02:17This during the 11th day of her impeachment trial on Monday, August 3, 2026.
02:22The defense also declines to stipulate acknowledgement receipts from December 21 to 31, 2022
02:27that include 845 documents.
02:29Because sa atin, yung 11 days kasi may mga explanation yan, may maaari tayong gawin na cross dyan,
02:40so hindi pa muna tayo pong mayag sa stipulation doon.
02:44POA says the defense has issues with these receipts.
02:46But as to the other documents, such as yung mga sinabmit sa COA, maliban lang sa acknowledgement receipts of course,
02:55but yung pagdating doon sa mga, ano naman, naging AOM or notice of suspension, I think those are official documents
03:02naman ng COA.
03:03The Senate impeachment trial is in the middle of the prosecution's presentation of evidence
03:07against Duterte's alleged confidential funds misuse.
03:12The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines criticizes Vice President Sara Duterte
03:17over remarks denigrating Philippine news organizations and promoting social media as a truth platform.
03:23Duterte claims media in the Philippines fails to meet international standards.
03:27Duterte also accuses newsrooms of worshipping money and praises social media as an alternative platform to help people see the
03:35truth.
03:36NUJP says that by belittling the media, Duterte is borrowing from the dictator's playbook,
03:40quote, controlling information and demonizing the independent press and weaponizing social media for her propaganda.
03:47The union notes, far from being subpar from global standards,
03:50Philippine journalists have received awards for their work and have been recognized by the international community.
03:55The NUJP also points out, social media, far from being a platform for truth,
03:59rewards this information with lies spreading faster than truth.
04:03It adds, if only Sara paid more attention to standards of governance and leadership
04:07instead of scapegoating the media, she would have avoided the predicament she is now facing before the Senate impeachment court.
04:16The Sandigan Bayan denies the Ombudsman's request to drop former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan
04:21as one of Sen. Gingoy Estrada's co-accused.
04:24This, in a graft case stemming from alleged flood control project corruption.
04:28In the case, the Ombudsman alleges the accused conspired with one another to receive kickbacks from flood control projects.
04:33The Sandigan Bayan says the proposed amended information, quote,
04:37removes the only co-accused and purported conspirator of accused Estrada from the case.
04:41The graft court, in denying the Ombudsman's request, explains,
04:45dropping Bonoan modifies the theory of criminal liability from conspiracy to individual liability.
04:50But the Sandigan Bayan says the Ombudsman may still push to make him a state witness.
04:56In May, the Ombudsman charged Estrada, Bonoan, and DPWH National Capital Region officials
05:01with plunder and graft over an alleged kickback scheme in the Public Works Department.
05:07The Energy Regulatory Commission allows Meralco to recover 8.7 billion pesos
05:12in previously uncollected pass-through costs over three years.
05:16The amount includes 595 million pesos in system loss charges.
05:20This despite President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s call during his State of the Nation address
05:24to remove the system loss charges from consumers' electricity bills.
05:28The ERC authorizes the collection of 7.3 billion pesos in generation costs,
05:33almost 616 million pesos in transmission costs,
05:37nearly 596 million pesos in system loss costs,
05:40and 228.88 million pesos in real property taxes.
05:44The four main under-recoveries will generally be collected over 36 months,
05:49beginning in the next billing cycle.
05:51Residential customers will pay a total adjustment of 0.0803 pesos per kilowatt-hour,
05:57equivalent to about 16 pesos for a household consuming 200 kilowatt-hours.
06:02The final amount may be higher or lower,
06:04depending on the customer's location and other bill adjustments.
06:07The decision follows a separate ERC order requiring Meralco to refund 9.51 billion pesos
06:13in excess distribution rate collections over six months.
06:16Comparing the two orders leaves customers with an aggregate net refund of about 798 million pesos,
06:23but customers should not expect a single net refund entry.
06:28And that's today's wrap.
06:29I'm JC Guttinga.
06:31Click the link below for the full story.
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