The defense team on Monday asked the Senate impeachment court to provide an interpreter for Office of the Vice President (OVP) staff member Gina Acosta, who has been answering some questions in Cebuano during the 16th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
Defense lawyer Lindon Miguel C. Bacquel made the request after Acosta asked permission to mix Cebuano into her answers during direct examination.
“May we request an interpreter from this honorable court, if this honorable court will allow, so that the defense would be able to easily understand the statement of the witness,” Bacquel said.
Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero said the Senate impeachment court has interpreters available when needed. He also noted that some senator-judges speak Bisaya and said an interpreter would be appointed on-site if necessary.
Escudero earlier asked Acosta if she could answer questions in English or Filipino to make the proceedings easier to follow.
Acosta, however, requested permission to use some Cebuano in answering questions.
The witness appeared to have difficulty following some of the questions from House prosecutor Virgil Ligutan, prompting him to rephrase and repeat them several times.
Senator-judge Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri suggested that Ligutan ask questions in Bisaya and translate Acosta’s answers into English or Filipino.
He noted that three members of the defense team are Cebuano speakers and could object if they believed the translation was inaccurate.
Bacquel objected to the suggestion, saying he is not Bisaya and was having difficulty understanding both Acosta and the exchanges in Cebuano. He reiterated his request for a court-appointed interpreter.
Escudero maintained that an interpreter was available if needed but said the questions being asked were so far understandable. He directed Ligutan to proceed more slowly.
Meanwhile, Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo asked Escudero to direct Acosta to speak in Tagalog, noting that she had used Tagalog during a House hearing in November 2024.
Acosta is the first prosecution witness to be declared "hostile" in the impeachment trial. She previously served as a Special Disbursing Officer in the OVP in 2022 and 2023.
