Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio confirmed Tuesday that he accompanied former OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta during four instances when she encashed checks at the Land Bank of the Philippines Shaw Boulevard branch.
Ortonio made the admission during Day 18 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial as private prosecutor Atty. Mae Divinagracia questioned him about his involvement in the transactions.
Divinagracia asked Ortonio to confirm whether he accompanied Acosta when she encashed the checks.
“Yes, I can confirm,” Ortonio replied.
When asked whether he was the only person accompanying Acosta during the encashments at the LandBank Shaw Boulevard branch, Ortonio again answered in the affirmative.
“Yes, when she requested me to accompany her,” he said.
Ortonio confirmed that he was familiar with the branch, which is located within Beacon Plaza along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City. He also identified a photograph presented by the prosecution as showing the LandBank branch.
Divinagracia further clarified whether Ortonio was the only person with Acosta during all four check encashments.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Ortonio said.
The prosecution then questioned whether the encashments were made upon the instruction of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Ortonio clarified that his accompaniment of Acosta was based on Acosta’s own request, rather than a direct instruction from Duterte.
When asked whether Duterte knew that he accompanied Acosta to the bank, Ortonio said he could not confirm that Acosta had informed the Vice President about his participation.
“I cannot confirm, ma’am, if Ms. Gina was able to inform the Vice President,” Ortonio said.
However, when Divinagracia asked about the actual withdrawal or encashment of the checks, Ortonio said he assumed Acosta had informed Duterte about the transaction.
“I would assume, ma’am, na Ms. Gina has informed the Vice President yung pag-encash niya. But as to if I’m accompanying her, I’m not sure, ma’am,” he said.
The testimony provides the prosecution with details about the physical handling of the checks and cash withdrawals involving Acosta, who previously testified about her role as an OVP Special Disbursing Officer.
Ortonio, who has been declared a hostile witness, is being questioned by prosecutors about the OVP’s financial transactions, internal procedures and the handling of funds.
His testimony is part of the prosecution’s effort to establish the circumstances surrounding the disbursement and utilization of funds under scrutiny in the impeachment proceedings.
The Senate is currently hearing Article I of Duterte’s impeachment case, which centers on allegations involving the misuse and misappropriation of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP and the Department of Education.
