MANILA, Philippines — Testifying on Day 10 of the high-stakes Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, a former land bank manager provided crucial testimony outlining the behind-the-scenes mechanics of how massive cash withdrawals tied to confidential funds were processed and handed over inside a bank branch backroom.
Nenita Camposano, the former land bank manager who led the Land Bank of the Philippines (LandBank) Shaw Boulevard branch in Mandaluyong City, took the witness stand to clarify the operational procedures governing large-scale currency payouts. Under direct examination by House prosecutors, the former land bank manager explained that high-value cash transactions were not conducted at open, public-facing teller counters, but were instead completed behind closed doors following specialized verification and supervisory clearance steps.
Testimony of the Former Land Bank Manager on Backroom Cash Releases
During direct examination led by House Prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua, the former land bank manager walked the Senate impeachment tribunal through the precise sequence of events that unfolded whenever high-value checks drawn against government accounts arrived at her branch.
Camposano testified that after bank personnel completed all obligatory validation, verification, and managerial authorization protocols, the individual authorized to collect the money was escorted into an interior office to receive the physical bills.
“Pagka po natapos na po ‘yung proseso namin ng pag-validate ng cheque at pag-approve, tatawagin na po namin si Mr. Fajarda sa backroom. Doon po ire-release na po ‘yung cash withdrawal,” Camposano testified on the stand.
(Once our process of validating the check and approving it was completed, we would call Mr. Fajarda into the backroom. That is where the cash withdrawal would be released.)
When pressed by Rep. Chua to explicitly name everyone present inside the backroom during these physical cash handoffs, the former land bank manager noted that only a tightly controlled group of bank personnel and authorized payees were permitted inside the space.
According to Camposano’s sworn account, five specific individuals were present during the cash disbursement:
- The former land bank manager (Nenita Camposano herself)
- The designated bank teller responsible for counting and releasing the physical money
- The branch cashier overseeing vault balances and audit controls
- Edward Fajarda, the individual presenting the cleared check for cash withdrawal
- One companion accompanying Fajarda during the transaction
Article I Allegations and the Focus on Confidential Funds
The detailed testimony offered by the former land bank manager forms a critical brick in the prosecution’s presentation of evidence under Article I of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Article I centers on the alleged misuse, unaccounted disbursement, and potential corruption surrounding ₱612.5 million in confidential funds allocated between the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) during Duterte’s concurrent tenure as Vice President and Education Secretary.
House prosecutors are attempting to demonstrate that millions of pesos in public funds were regularly liquidated into physical cash through unusual or preferential bank arrangements, raising broader questions about financial transparency, internal auditing controls, and the standard security protocols governing state fund disbursements.
By calling the former land bank manager to the witness stand, the House prosecution panel sought to establish a concrete chain of custody. Their goal is to reconstruct the exact physical timeline of how government checks were converted into liquid cash bundles, identify who took physical possession of the currency, and verify whether statutory banking procedures and Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) rules were strictly followed or bypassed.
Detailed Questioning by House Prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua
During the questioning, House Prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua pressed the former land bank manager to explain whether conducting cash handoffs inside an office backroom represents standard operating procedure across state-owned banks, or if special accommodations were extended due to the sheer volume of cash or the high profile of the accounts involved.
The former land bank manager clarified that while backroom handling is frequently utilized as a safety measure when handling extraordinarily large cash volumes, every single transaction must strictly satisfy internal validation controls, signature card verification, and manager-level sign-offs before physical currency ever leaves the vault.
Rep. Chua’s line of inquiry focused on three core operational areas:
- Safety and Security Protocols: The rationale for releasing massive physical cash sums in an enclosed backroom rather than through customary public teller windows.
- Identity and Authority Verification: The exact methods used by branch staff to confirm the authority of Edward Fajarda and his companion to receive cash in such large amounts.
- Transfer of Legal Custody: The precise point in the transaction where legal responsibility for the cash shifted from LandBank branch officials to the OVP-linked representatives.
Contextualizing the ₱612.5 Million Confidential Fund Allegations
The ongoing Senate impeachment proceedings represent one of the most significant constitutional and legal trials in recent Philippine history. At the heart of the dispute lies the allocation and spending of confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) across executive agencies.
Prosecution members argumentatively assert that confidential funds—while legally intended for sensitive security and intelligence-gathering activities—must still comply with secondary accounting rules, especially when withdrawn as liquid currency from state financial institutions.
The testimony from the former land bank manager gives the Senate sitting as an impeachment court direct, eyewitness testimony detailing the physical realities of how these government check withdrawals were executed on the ground.
Defense counsel representing Vice President Duterte maintain that all fund releases, check clearances, and operational activities fully complied with existing executive orders, joint circulars, and banking statutes. Defense allies contend that processing high-value cash transactions in secured backrooms is a standard, prudent banking measure designed to safeguard both bank employees and clients transporting substantial sums of money.
Broader Implications of the Testimony for the Impeachment Court
As the tenth day of trial proceedings wrapped up, legal analysts observed that the granular narrative provided by the former land bank manager adds vital operational context to the documentary records already admitted into evidence. Senator-judges now possess sworn testimony describing the physical environment and personnel present when multi-million peso withdrawals were completed.
In the coming trial sessions, the Senate tribunal will weigh the sworn disclosures of the former land bank manager against an expanding collection of physical evidence, including bank ledgers, withdrawal slips, check vouchers, Commission on Audit (COA) audit observation memorandums, and testimonies from financial regulators.
The prosecution panel has indicated plans to call additional bank executives, government auditors, and cash custodians to reinforce their narrative surrounding the management of public funds. Meanwhile, the defense team continues to prepare its cross-examinations and counter-evidence to demonstrate the legality and regularity of all OVP and DepEd financial operations.
Next Steps in the Senate Impeachment Proceedings
With the former land bank manager having provided an insider’s view into branch-level cash release mechanics, public and legislative attention shifts toward the next wave of witnesses scheduled to appear before the tribunal.
As the trial progresses, the Senate of the Philippines, sitting as a formal Impeachment Court, will evaluate whether the accumulated testimony—including the step-by-step account of backroom cash withdrawals detailed by the former land bank manager—substantiates the high constitutional charges required to convict or acquit the sitting Vice President.
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