House Prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Saturday said the testimonies of former Office of the Vice President (OVP) Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta were sufficient to establish the alleged misuse of confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum at Quezon City, Ridon said Acosta directly identified Duterte as the one who allegedly ordered the transfer of P125 million in confidential funds to Col. Raymund Lachica, the former chief of the Vice President’s security team who was not an organic personnel of the OVP.
“Itinuro ni Gina Acosta, si Vice President Sara Duterte, na nag-utos sa paglilipat ng 125 million in confidential funds mula kay Ms. Acosta papunta po kay Colonel [Raymund] Lachica,” Ridon said.
“Sa totoo lang, katulad na binabanggit po natin noong nakaraan, sapat-sapat na yung pong testimonya na ‘yun para ipakita ang maling paggamit ng confidential funds ng Vice President, ni Ms. Acosta at ng iba pang accountable officers ng Office of the Vice President,” he added.
Ridon, however, said the prosecution would continue presenting other relevant witnesses, including former DepEd disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, who he said received a similar instruction from Duterte involving confidential funds at the DepEd.
According to Ridon, the alleged transfer to Lachica also figured in the Commission on Audit’s (COA) notice of disallowance for 2023, which cited the release of OVP confidential funds to a non-OVP personnel.
“Doon pa lang, yung requirement to prove misuse has already been established,” Ridon said.
Acosta was the first hostile witness to testify in the impeachment trial over the alleged misuse of confidential funds by the OVP.
During Day 16 of the impeachment trial on August 17, private prosecutor Atty. Amando Ligutan questioned Acosta about why she contacted Lachica after encashing the ₱125-million check.
Acosta testified before the Senate impeachment court that Duterte instructed her to transfer the money to Lachica after she withdrew the amount in cash from the Land Bank of the Philippines’ Shaw Boulevard branch on Dec. 20, 2022.
“Kasi po may instruction sa taas, sa aking head of agency, na kapag na-encash ang tseke, i-release ko po kay Sir Lachica… na dinesignate na security officer ng OVP,” Acosta said.
