Prosecution counsel Atty. Lorna Kapunan renewed her challenge to Vice President Sara Duterte on Wednesday, August 19, 2026, urging her to appear before the Senate impeachment court and directly address the accusations tied to her handling of public money.
Speaking during a virtual press briefing held alongside House prosecution adviser Robert Ace Barbers, Kapunan pointed to the billions in vice presidential allocations under Duterte’s control and questioned how the sums had been spent. “If you want transparency, you should start with yourself. Where are you spending your billions in vice presidential funds?” she said.
She rejected any notion that the confidential allocations belonged to the Vice President personally, stressing that the money originated from taxpayers. “Hindi ‘yan (confidential funds) regalo sa’yo, public funds po ‘yan,” Kapunan added.
The lawyer also cautioned Duterte against airing her side through media appearances rather than the legal venue where the charges are being heard, framing the impeachment court as the proper forum for resolving disputes over the questioned disbursements.
The briefing took place on a day when no formal session was held. According to Philstar, Day 17 of the proceedings was called off after Presiding Officer Sen. Francis Escudero ordered a cancellation, citing forecasts of heavy rain linked to the enhanced southwest monsoon. Rappler reported it was the third weather-related postponement since the trial began, with an earlier suspension recorded on August 10.
At the center of the case is a set of impeachable allegations covering the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds channeled to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education during Duterte’s stint as Education secretary. Prosecutors have built much of their argument around testimony that disbursement records failed to meet the requirements set under a 2015 Commission on Audit joint circular governing such funds.
Earlier in the week, the case advanced through the account of former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, who told the court on August 17 that Duterte had directed her to turn over P125 million in confidential funds to Colonel Raymund Dante Lachica, then head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group. Whether Lachica will be summoned to testify remains under review by the prosecution panel.
