"Hindi ko maalala, Your Honor," Acosta says.
This was the repeated response of former Office of the Vice President (OVP) Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta when she was asked by the prosecution about the confidential funds received by Davao City from 2019 to 2022, when Vice President Sara Duterte was serving as mayor.
During the 17th day of impeachment trial on Monday, Aug. 24, Acosta said she could no longer recall the ₱1.84 billion in confidential funds allocated to Davao City.
House private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan presented an infographic showing that Davao City received ₱460 million in confidential funds each year from 2019 to 2022, for a total of ₱1.84 billion.
“Hindi ko maalala, Your Honor,” Acosta repeatedly told the Senate impeachment court when asked by Ligutan.
“All in all, from 2019 to 2022, a simple math will tell us ₱1.840 billion, or almost ₱2 billion, confidential funds ang ibinigay sa Davao City. Hindi niyo rin maalala ’yung total na ’yan?” Ligutan asked.
Acosta explained that the transactions took place years ago and cited her age.
“Hindi ko maalala. Tagal naman na kasi. May edad na ako,” she said.
Acosta previously served as a special disbursing officer for the Davao City government before joining the OVP.
Ligutan questioned how Acosta could no longer remember the amounts, noting that the transactions took place only about four years ago.
“You are telling this public ma’am, hindi mo na maalala ‘yung amount na binigay sa OVP na nangyari lang apat na taon pa lang,” Ligutan said.
He also pointed out that Acosta had previously handled confidential funds in Davao City.
The exchange came as the prosecution sought to establish Acosta’s familiarity with the handling of confidential funds, including the ₱125 million in confidential funds released to the OVP in December 2022.
Acosta had earlier testified that the ₱125 million in cash could fit into four traveling bags.
The defense panel objected to Ligutan’s question regarding Acosta’s inability to recall the Davao City funds.
However, Senate impeachment court Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero overruled the objection, noting that Acosta had been declared a hostile witness.
