SARA DUTERTE
VP Sara Duterte files counter-affidavit before Ombudsman
Vice President Sara Duterte, through her lawyers Michael Poa and Paul Lim, on Friday filed her counter-affidavit before the Office of the Ombudsman. This submission responds to allegations of misusing confidential funds allocated to both the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).
The filing occurred ahead of the June 30 deadline set by the Office of the Ombudsman, which on June 20 had ordered Duterte and nine other officials to respond to complaints initiated by the House of Representatives regarding the alleged misuse of these funds. Respondents were given 10 days from receipt of the order to submit their affidavits.
The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, chaired by Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua, previously adopted a committee report recommending the filing of multiple charges against Vice President Duterte and other officials. These recommended charges include technical malversation, falsification and use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery and corruption of public officers, plunder, betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution.
Aside from Vice President Duterte, other named respondents include OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez, Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, and Department of Education (DepEd) personnel Sunshine Fajarda, Edward Fajarda, Annalyn Sevilla, Nolasco Mempin, and Col. Raymund Lachica, who heads Duterte’s security group.
The Ombudsman’s order stipulated that failure to file a counter-affidavit within the given period would be deemed a waiver of the respondents’ right to submit controverting evidence, allowing the preliminary investigation to proceed accordingly.
The filing at the Ombudsman comes as Vice President Duterte also faces an impending Senate impeachment court over accusations of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes. Duterte’s defense team has not yet released further details or commented on the contents of the counter-affidavit.
