Manila: The confidential classification of PHP612.5 million entrusted to Vice President Sara Duterte does not place its handling beyond transparency, scrutiny, and accountability, House of Representatives prosecutor and Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila De Lima said Wednesday as she opened the prosecution's presentation on the confidential funds released through the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd).

According to Philippines News Agency, De Lima emphasized in her opening statements that the intention behind the budget's classification for confidential operations does not exempt it from being subject to public scrutiny and accountability. She likened the situation to families who must carefully allocate their limited resources to necessities, underscoring that the same prudence should apply to public funds.

The House prosecutor explained that confidential funds are designated for sensitive and surveillance-related activities that support the mandates of civilian agencies. Despite their classification, De Lima affirmed that these funds are still bound by the public-trust principle, as stipulated by the Constitution.

De Lima further clarified that the confidentiality of such funds is meant to protect legitimate operations and informants, not to conceal fraudulent activities or the misappropriation of public funds. She stressed the increased accountability required when handling confidential funds, rejecting any notion of using the classification as a means to misappropriate money.

Addressing the senator-judges, De Lima reminded them of their constitutional duty to assess whether Vice President Duterte's actions constituted offenses that merit her removal from office. She asserted that the evidence would demonstrate a violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust concerning the PHP612.5 million in confidential funds managed by the Vice President.