Five weeks into the trial, the proceedings have become about more than the fate of one elected official. They have evolved into an examination of how the Philippine government accounts for billions of pesos in confidential funds and whether the existing safeguards are sufficient to protect public money from misuse.

The decisive questions lie in the financial documents that have only begun arriving at the Senate: whether the money was lawfully spent, whether Duterte's declared income matches her accumulated wealth, and whether prosecutors can prove their allegations beyond political rhetoric.

Leila De Lima: Ang confidentiality ay para protektahan ang lehitimong operasyon at informant. Hindi ito pahintulot para mag-imbento ng pangalan at dokumento. Hindi ito palusot para ibulsa ang pera.