Sen. Padilla says OVP confidential funds help prevent NPA rebel attacks

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Robin Padilla said on Wednesday that the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential fund disbursements may have played a role in thwarting insurgent assaults, noting that the timing of the fund releases aligned with the founding anniversaries of the CPP-NPA and the NDF.

During the 13th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Padilla examined prosecution witness Roderick Wamil regarding a trio of P125 million confidential fund disbursements distributed between late 2022 and early 2023.

Wamil is the former state auditor of the Commission on Audit-Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (COA-ICFAO) who audited the P500 million confidential funds released to the OVP in four 125 million increments, as well as the P112.5 million for the Department of Education (DepEd) released in three checks worth 37.5 million each.

“Itong pong mga dates na ito, nung December 26, March 29, April 24, lahat po ito walang nangyaring attack. Lahat po foiled. Wala po. For the first time, wala pong nangyaring attack. Kasi tuwing founding anniversary, may attack,” Padilla said.

“On all of these dates, December 26, March 29, April 24, there were no attacks. Every single one was foiled. There’s none. For the first time, there were no attacks because every time the CPP-NPA celebrates its founding anniversary, there is usually an attack.” Padilla said in Filipino.

When he started his clarificatory questions to the witness, Padilla referred to the first check for the OVP and asked, “Yung una pong cheke ay 125 million, December 20, 2022. Batid nyo po ba na ang founding anniversary ng CPP-NPA ay December 26?”

(“The first check, 125 million, was issued on December 20, 2022. Are you aware that the founding anniversary of the CPP-NPA falls on December 26?”)

Wamil answered, “Wala po akong personal knowledge about diyan.” (“I do not have personal knowledge about that matter.”)

Confidential funds release coincided with NPA anniversary

The senator-judge then cited a second P125 million check covering the first quarter of 2023 dated Jan. 31, 2023, noting that the NPA’s founding anniversary is on March 29.

Padilla likewise pointed to a third P125-million check dated April 18, 2023, saying it preceded the 50th founding anniversary of the National Democratic Front on April 24.

Padilla asked whether Wamil believed confidential funds and confidential agents played a significant role in preventing such attacks.

“Ang tanong ko po, Ginoong Kabayan, naniniwala po ba kayo na malaki ang papel ng confidential fund at confidential agent?” Padilla asked.

(“My question is, do you believe that confidential funds and confidential agents play a significant role?”)

The witness declined to make that conclusion, saying it would depend on an agency’s mandate and that he had no personal knowledge of the anniversaries or the alleged security operations.

Padilla, a known ally of the Duterte family, further asked, “Alam naman po natin na ang DepEd, dyan po nanggagaling ang tinatawag naming, sa Communist Party po, ano? Meron po kasing pangkat gerilya, ang pangkat politikal. Yung pangkat politikal, yaan po yung mga estudyante na nanggagaling sa mga universidad, sangayon po ba kayo doon?”

(“We all know that the DepEd is where, as we refer to it in relation to the Communist Party, some of them come from, right? There are different groups within the movement, the guerrilla group and the political group. The political group consists of students coming from universities, do you agree?”)

“I cannot answer that po, Your Honor,” Wamil answered.

Duterte is facing impeachment over allegations of culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust stemming from the alleged misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds for the OVP and Deped, where she also served as secretary. /gsg

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