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Impeachment Trial - Day 13
The impeachment court granted the prosecution's motion for judicial notice of the House justice-panel hearings and adjourned Day 11 until 10 a.m. on Monday, August 10, 2026, after ordering subpoenas issued to four prosecution witnesses for the following week. State auditors testified for the prosecution that the OVP and DepEd confidential-fund liquidations were supported by incomplete records, including 849 acknowledgement receipts with no official or sales invoices, while acknowledging the documents showed no personal knowledge that the Vice President personally received or benefited from the funds. Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero also granted transfer of exhibit markings on portions of the purported Lascañas affidavit while ruling its unsigned, unsworn contents remain hearsay.
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Session record
Claims introduced or updated
- A new standing claim card, "Court grants judicial notice of House justice-panel hearings," was opened after the impeachment court sustained the prosecution's motion for judicial notice of the House justice-panel records; the card is published and records the court's grant.
- On "The ₱612.5M confidential-funds charge," the record now carries a state auditor's testimony that OVP and DepEd confidential-fund records were incomplete, that using medicines to pay informants was 'not normal' audit practice, and that improper liquidation gives rise to a presumption of misuse, alongside his statement that the documents showed no personal knowledge of the Vice President personally receiving the funds.
- On "COA's ₱375M disallowance," the record now includes former COA state auditor Roderick Wamil's testimony that the OVP's December 21-31, 2022 liquidation was supported only by 849 acknowledgement receipts and that a Notice of Disallowance carries an immediate restitution obligation not stayed by a pending Supreme Court petition, and Sen. Imee Marcos's argument that the accountable officers are the Special Disbursing Officers, not the Vice President.
- On "Lascañas affidavit on Oplan Tokhang," the record now reflects that exhibit markings on unobjected portions were transferred to a certified true copy and that the presiding officer ruled the affidavit remains unsigned, unauthorized, and not under oath, its contents hearsay.
- On "Senator critiques witness competency on confidential funds," the record now carries Sen. Panfilo Lacson's assertion that the witness lacks a security clearance despite auditing confidential funds and his account of how intelligence aliases and confidentiality reports are handled under Congress's oversight.
Evidence & exhibits
- Exhibit markings on unobjected portions of the purported Lascañas affidavit were transferred to a certified true copy, with markings on exhibits P-4-35 through P-4-35B disputed and reserved for a written ruling.
- The prosecution presented exhibits P-1-8-1 through P-1-8-849, comprising 849 acknowledgement receipts for the December 21-31, 2022 period, as tabulated by the COA witness.
- The prosecution stated that 4,492 OVP and DepEd documents contained in 15 boxes would be presented through six witness-prepared summaries rather than the physical boxes.
- The prosecution moved for judicial notice of House TSNs, video recordings, and committee reports, which defense counsel opposed pending cross-examination.
- The presiding officer ordered subpoenas ad testificandum and/or duces tecum issued to four named prosecution witnesses for the following week's dates.
Court rulings
- Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero granted the prosecution's request to transfer exhibit markings on unobjected affidavit portions, denied the defense's objection as to exhibits P-4-35 through P-4-35B, and ruled the transfer a ministerial act not affecting authenticity or weight, with a written ruling on objected portions to issue via the court journal.
- The impeachment court granted the prosecution's motion for judicial notice of the House justice-panel hearing records.
- Presiding officer Sen. Vicente 'Tito' Sotto III ruled there was no conflict of interest for Atty. Poa, finding he is not a named respondent, over a point of order raised by Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
- Sen. Sotto ruled that the witness would be allowed to testify from a table and summaries given the voluminous nature of the documents.
- Sen. Sotto ordered the Clerk of Court to compare the digital and printed subpoenaed bank submissions against the document indices from BDO Unibank and Security Bank and to turn them over to the parties.
- Sen. Sotto directed counsel to furnish opposing counsel copies of any documents proposed for stipulation at least one day before the hearing, and adjourned the trial until 10 a.m. on Monday, August 10, 2026.
Open questions
- Supervising State Auditor Xylene Mae del Campo, who testified on Aug 5 as the prosecution's fourth Article-I witness and was directed to verify the disputed acknowledgement-receipt stipulations before the next hearing — along with subpoenaed witnesses Gina S. Acosta, Edward D. Fajarda, and Marivic Pareja — will the disputed documents be resolved when the trial resumes on August 10, 2026?
- What will the presiding officer's written ruling, to issue via the court journal, say on the objected exhibit markings for the purported Lascañas affidavit?
- Will the defense be allowed to cross-examine before the House TSNs, video recordings, and committee reports are formally admitted?
- How will the disputed acknowledgement-receipt stipulation and the identification of documents be resolved when the audit witness continues testifying?
Claims updated in this session
- Senator critiques witness competency on confidential funds
Attributed to Panfilo "Ping" Lacson
- Lascañas affidavit on Oplan Tokhang
Attributed to Melvin Matibag
- The ₱612.5M confidential-funds charge
Attributed to House of Representatives of the Philippines
- COA's ₱375M disallowance
Attributed to Commission on Audit (COA)