The remaining budget of about P11 million for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio is more than enough to cover the remaining proceedings, Senator-Judge and Senate accounts committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson said Thursday.
Lacson cited figures from Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian showing a little over P14 million had been spent for the impeachment trial from the P25.7-million continuing appropriation under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the trial.
In Filipino: Lacson: Sapat na Sapat ang Natitirang Pondo para sa Impeachment Trial ng VP
“Kakasya na yan kasi isang article na lang ang naiwan at presentation na lang ng defense, so hindi na magtatagal yan. Sosobra yan – actually may masa-save pa doon (It is more than enough because we have only one article left to tackle, with the defense making its presentation. So it is more than enough and we expect there may even be savings),” he said in an interview on DZBB radio.
On Wednesday, Lacson debunked claims by the Vice President’s spokesperson Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. that some P500 million was “wasted” on the impeachment trial, saying Panelo should rectify his claim.
He said Panelo may have made an honest mistake in coming up with the “wasted P500-million” estimate, noting that the P25-million daily figure refers to the Senate’s regular operating expenses as a legislative body, and not the cost of the trial proceedings.
Meanwhile, Lacson said new findings by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on properties linked to the Vice President are outside the scope of her impeachment trial and can no longer be added to the evidence for consideration by the Impeachment Court.
He said that while the Vice President’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) and some of her properties were part of the evidence the prosecution presented at the trial, the NBI’s latest findings were not.
“Itong mga bagong pinakita ng NBI, hindi naman ito nasaklaw eh. So hindi kasama sa consideration namin yan (These new findings presented by the NBI were not covered. So they are not part of our consideration),” he said in an interview on DZMM radio late Wednesday.
He noted anything the NBI may still uncover would be for the Office of the Ombudsman to consider, as a criminal case.
The NBI earlier referred its findings on the Vice President’s properties to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice. The Vice President has denied owning a lot the NBI linked to her SALN, and has questioned the bureau’s use of public funds for the probe.
*****
Lacson: Sapat na Sapat ang Natitirang Pondo para sa Impeachment Trial ng VP
Kasya – o maaari pang sumobra – ang natitirang humigit-kumulang P11 milyon na pondo para sa impeachment trial ni Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, ayon kay Senator-Judge at Senate accounts committee chairman Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Huwebes.
Binanggit ni Lacson ang mga datos mula kay Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian na nagpapakitang mahigit P14 milyon na ang nagastos para sa impeachment trial mula sa P25.7-milyong continuing appropriation sa ilalim ng 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) para sa paglilitis.
“Kakasya na ’yan kasi isang article na lang ang naiwan at presentation na lang ng defense, so hindi na magtatagal ’yan. Sosobra ’yan — actually, may masa-save pa doon,” aniya sa panayam sa DZBB radio.
Noong Miyerkules, pinabulaanan ni Lacson ang pahayag ni Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr., tagapagsalita ng Bise Presidente, na may P500 milyon umanong “nasayang” sa impeachment trial, at sinabing dapat itama ni Panelo ang kanyang pahayag.
Ani Lacson, maaaring nagka-“honest mistake” si Panelo sa pagtaya nitong “nasayang” ang P500 milyon. Ipinaliwanag niyang ang halagang P25 milyon kada araw ay tumutukoy sa regular na gastusin ng Senado bilang sangay ng lehislatura, at hindi sa mismong gastos sa paglilitis.
Samantala, sinabi ni Lacson na hindi saklaw ng impeachment trial ng Bise Presidente ang mga bagong natuklasan ng National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) hinggil sa mga ari-ariang iniuugnay sa kanya, kaya hindi na maidaragdag ang mga ito sa ebidensiyang maaaring isaalang-alang ng Impeachment Court.
Ayon kay Lacson, kabilang sa mga ebidensiyang iniharap ng prosekusyon sa paglilitis ang Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) ng Bise Presidente at ilan sa kanyang mga ari-arian, ngunit hindi ang pinakahuling mga natuklasan ng NBI.
“Itong mga bagong pinakita ng NBI, hindi naman ito nasaklaw eh. So hindi kasama sa consideration namin ’yan,” aniya sa panayam sa DZMM radio nitong Miyerkules ng gabi.
Sinabi rin niya na ang anumang karagdagang matutuklasan ng NBI ay maaaring isaalang-alang ng Office of the Ombudsman kaugnay ng posibleng kasong kriminal.
Isinangguni ng NBI sa Ombudsman at Department of Justice ang mga natuklasan nito hinggil sa mga ari-arian ng Bise Presidente. Itinanggi ni Duterte-Carpio na pag-aari niya ang isang lupang iniugnay ng NBI sa kanyang SALN at kinuwestiyon ang paggamit ng ahensiya ng pondo ng bayan para sa imbestigasyon.
*****
     |    |   |