MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte personally ordered the release of P125 million in confidential funds to her security chief in December 2022, former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta testified before the impeachment court Monday.
Acosta told the Senate sitting as an impeachment court that Duterte instructed her to turn over the money to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica after she withdrew the cash from the Land Bank of the Philippines Shaw Boulevard branch on Dec. 20, 2022.
“The one who ordered me to release the P125 million to Lachica was Ma’am Sara Duterte,” Acosta said in response to private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan.
Acosta said she contacted Lachica after encashing the check because Duterte, as OVP head, had instructed her to release the money to him.
The prosecution presented Acosta’s testimony to establish that Duterte authorized the transfer rather than Acosta acting independently as the accountable officer.
Acosta declared hostile witness
The impeachment court declared Acosta a hostile witness at the start of Monday’s proceedings because she remains an OVP employee and had filed a counteraffidavit defending Duterte.
Acosta, now an OVP vice presidential staff officer VI, also gave similar testimony during a 2024 House inquiry. Prosecutors repeatedly presented portions of her previous testimony and asked her to confirm them.
She said Duterte approved the transfer because Lachica had experience handling programs and activities involving confidential operations.
Acosta also said she would not have released the P125 million to Lachica without Duterte’s approval.
Questions over fund handling
The testimony also raised questions about how the OVP handled the confidential funds.
Acosta acknowledged that she could not identify any provision in Joint Circular No. 2015-01 authorizing a security officer to disburse confidential funds.
Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero asked whether disbursing confidential funds formed part of a security officer’s duties.
“No, Your Honor, that’s the job of the disbursing officer,” Acosta replied.
Lachica nevertheless received the cash and later submitted utilization documents to Acosta, she said. Acosta testified that she relied on the documents and did not question Lachica’s reports.
She said she knew Lachica only as a security officer and could not say whether he worked for the OVP or received a salary from the agency.
Prosecution displays cash representations
The prosecution also used paper bundles and AI-generated images to illustrate the volume of P125 million in P1,000 bills.
Ligutan said the prosecution used technology because it did not have P125 million in cash available for presentation.
Acosta testified that the money came in bundles of P1 million and initially occupied two boxes before OVP personnel transferred the cash into four black traveling bags.
She said Landbank security personnel and OVP assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio helped transport the money.
Defense lawyer Lindon Miguel Bacquel objected to the use of the AI-generated images, questioning their accuracy. Acosta later said one image did not accurately depict the bags used to transport the cash.
Language issue delays hearing
Proceedings also slowed after Acosta asked to answer in Bisaya, saying she had difficulty speaking and understanding Filipino.
She eventually answered in Filipino after Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo cited her previous testimony before the House, where she responded in both Filipino and English.
Tulfo urged Acosta to answer in Filipino to avoid further delays.
The impeachment court also excused House archives chief Marivic Pareja shortly after she took the stand after the defense stipulated to the authenticity and custody of House records cited during Acosta’s testimony.
