Former DepEd officer asks to skip VP Duterte impeachment trial after reported stroke

Former Department of Education (DepEd) special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda has asked to be excused from this week’s impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte after reportedly suffering a stroke, Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero said Monday.

On the 17th day of the trial, Escudero said the impeachment court received a letter and medical certificate from Fajarda’s lawyer requesting that he be allowed to skip the hearings from Aug. 24 to 26.

“According to the letter and medical certificate, Mr. Fajarda was confined in the ICU for observation, although he’s in the regular room now, because he suffered from a stroke on the lower back side of the brain,” Escudero said.

The impeachment court had earlier subpoenaed Fajarda to testify on Article 1 of the Articles of Impeachment, which involves the alleged misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds—P500 million from the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million from DepEd.

Escudero directed the head of the Senate Medical and Dental Bureau to examine Fajarda, verify his medical condition with his attending physicians and submit a report before the court acts on his request.

House lead prosecutor and Batangas 2nd District Rep. Gerville Luistro subsequently asked the impeachment court for a certified true copy of Fajarda’s medical certificate.

“Nonetheless, Your Honor, we would like to express our complete understanding and concern should the medical condition have any relation to the ongoing impeachment trial,” Luistro said.

Luistro also asked that Fajarda remain on the prosecution’s witness list, with his testimony tentatively scheduled for Sept. 7.