Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, former chief security officer of Vice President Sara Duterte, said Tuesday that he is prepared to appear before the Senate impeachment court and testify if he is formally summoned.
Lachica issued the clarification amid discussions on whether the prosecution or defense would seek his testimony in the ongoing impeachment trial of Duterte.
“I have never refused to appear or testify; if lawfully called, I am prepared to tell the truth, subject to applicable laws and security restrictions,” Lachica said in a statement dated August 25, 2026.
Lachica’s statement comes after his name was repeatedly mentioned during the testimony of former Office of the Vice President (OVP) Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, who identified him as the person responsible for implementing confidential activities and handling funds on the ground.
Acosta previously testified that she relied on documents submitted by Lachica in accounting for confidential fund transactions, while acknowledging that she was not personally present during some of the activities and disbursements reflected in the documents.
Lachica has also been linked to the receipt and subsequent distribution of confidential funds that are at the center of Article I of Duterte’s impeachment case.
Despite his repeated mention during the proceedings, Lachica has not yet appeared as a witness before the impeachment court.
Both the House prosecution panel and the defense team said they are still assessing whether to request that Lachica be subpoenaed to testify.
His willingness to appear could potentially provide the impeachment court with direct testimony regarding the implementation of the confidential activities, the handling of funds and the documents attributed to him.
Lachica, however, qualified his willingness to testify by noting that his statements would remain subject to applicable laws and security restrictions.
The impeachment trial is currently examining allegations that Duterte misused or misappropriated a total of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds from the OVP and the Department of Education.
