Sara to explain fake intel names during trial

It is wrong to pay heed to pronouncements of House lawmakers over fictitious names on the confidential funds of both the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd), Vice President Sara Duterte said yesterday, insisting on rules in intelligence operations.

- By BELLA CARIASO

"It can be very well addressed during (impeachment) trial, so our lawyers are preparing and collecting pieces of evidence and gathering affidavits from witnesses that they will present," Duterte said in an interview in The Hague, Netherlands.

The issue of alleged misuse of P500 million and P112.5 million in confidential funds of the OVP and DepEd, respectively, from 2022 to 2024 are part of the Articles of Impeachment against Duterte.

Duterte concurrently served as secretary of DepEd in July 2022 until she resigned in July 2024.

"Let me just say this, no? I think it is wrong for everyone to pick up as truth or as a fact all the pronouncements of the members of the House of Representatives, particularly with the fictitious names, because there are rules in intelligence operations and you already heard... people who work in intelligence say that aliases are used," Duterte said.

She did not elaborate.

"That can be discussed during the trial.