If a public school principal could be convicted and imprisoned for 11 years for misusing P5,000 in public funds, why should Vice President Sara Duterte face any less scrutiny for the P612.5 million in confidential funds allegedly misused under her watch?
This is the question raised by veteran litigator Atty. Lorna Kapunan, who argued that if lower-ranking government employees can be held swiftly accountable for pocketing public funds, the justice system should demand no less from the country’s highest public officials
“Magkano ‘yun? P5,000 mga kababayan. At sino ‘yan? Public school principal lang,” Kapunan said in a radio interview.
Kapunan pointed to a 2025 decision by the Sandiganbayan, which affirmed the conviction of a public school principal in Virac, Catanduanes, for falsification and malversation involving P5,000 in government funds. The ruling upheld an earlier verdict by a regional trial court that sentenced the principal to 11 years in prison.
The case involved falsified purchase records, where the principal reported buying 28 bags of cement worth P7,000, when in fact only eight bags costing P2,000 were purchased.
Kapunan cited the case as an example of how the justice system deals with misuse of public funds, regardless of the amount involved.
In contrast, Duterte is facing allegations tied to P612.5 million in confidential funds—P500 million from the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million from the Department of Education during her tenure as secretary.
The House Committee on Justice has already found probable cause to recommend impeachment on this issue, citing findings from the Commission on Audit that flagged irregularities in the use of the funds.
Among these was a P73 million disbursement in December 2022 that was disallowed and later upheld by the Commission Proper after the Office of the Vice President failed to provide sufficient documentation to justify the expense.
Additional concerns were raised based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority, which indicated that many names listed in acknowledgment receipts had no corresponding civil registry records. A forensic review by the National Bureau of Investigation also found similarities in handwriting across several receipts, suggesting they may have been prepared by only a few individuals.
Kapunan also referenced figures from the Anti-Money Laundering Council showing P6.77 billion in covered and suspicious transactions linked to Duterte and her husband, noting that such an amount would take a minimum wage earner thousands of years to earn.
She clarified, however, that impeachment proceedings differ from criminal cases. A conviction in an impeachment trial would result in removal from office and disqualification from holding public office, but would not automatically lead to imprisonment.
Kapunan noted that a separate plunder complaint has already been filed before the Office of the Ombudsman by former senator Antonio Trillanes IV. She said that if criminal liability is established in court, the penalties could include imprisonment and fines.
The lawyer maintained that the principle of accountability should be applied consistently, emphasizing that public officials, regardless of rank, must be held to the same standard in handling government funds.