A big government office called the Office of the Ombudsman just gave Vice President Sara Duterte and 9 other people a serious homework assignment — they have 10 days to explain how they used huge amounts of secret money.
Why? Because there’s a serious complaint saying that they may have used the money the wrong way.
This money is called “confidential funds.” It’s special money that’s supposed to be used quietly for important missions — not just anything!
The House of Representatives (that’s a group of lawmakers) said they found reasons to believe that P500 million pesos from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and P112.5 million pesos from the Department of Education (DepEd) were not used properly between the years 2022 and 2024.
What Did the Ombudsman Say?
The Ombudsman told VP Sara and her team that they must:
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Write a report called a counter-affidavit
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Include witnesses, if they have any
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Attach any documents to prove their side of the story
They must do all of this within 10 days of receiving the order. If they don’t? It means they’re giving up their chance to defend themselves, and the investigation will continue without their side of the story.
Also, they are not allowed to ask for the complaint to be thrown out. They must face it head-on.
Who Are Involved?
Here’s a list of people who are also being asked to explain:
From DepEd (Department of Education):
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Edward Fajarda – Officer who handles money
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Gina Acosta – Officer who handles money
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Atty. Sunshine Charry Fajarda – Director for Strategic Management
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Ret. Major General Nolasco Mempin – Undersecretary for Administration
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Annalyn Sevilla – Undersecretary for Finance Service
From OVP (Office of the Vice President):
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Atty. Zuleika Lopez – Undersecretary and Chief of Staff
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Lemuel Ortonio – Assistant Secretary
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Lt. Col. Dennis Nolasco – VP’s Security Officer
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Col. Raymund Dante Lachia – Commander of the VP’s Army Protection Team
What Are They Being Accused Of?
Some very serious crimes, including:
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Plunder (stealing very large amounts of money)
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Falsifying documents (making fake papers)
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Bribery (giving or taking money in secret deals)
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Corruption
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Lying under oath
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Breaking the Constitution
What Did VP Sara Say?
VP Sara said she didn’t do anything wrong. She also said these issues are part of a bigger attack against her, and they even used it as a reason to try and remove her from office through impeachment.
