Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio said he was not personally aware of any “threat of cataclysmic proportion” against Vice President Sara Duterte during the period when the OVP requested confidential funds in December 2022.
The exchange took place Tuesday, August 25, during the 18th day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, as private prosecutor Atty. Mae Divinagracia questioned Ortonio about the alleged security threats that may have justified the use of confidential funds.
Divinagracia asked whether Ortonio had heard of any highly destructive or serious threat against the Vice President that needed to be addressed within an 11-day period, from December 20 to 31, 2022.
“Mayroon ba kayong narinig na banta na masyadong mapaminsala na kailangan sugpohin sa loob lang ng 11 days?” Divinagracia asked.
Ortonio replied, “I personally don't know of any information.”
The question prompted an objection from defense counsel Atty. Kristine Ferrer, who argued that the term “threat of cataclysmic proportion” was vague and lacked basis.
Presiding Officer Sen. Chiz Escudero asked Divinagracia to clarify the question, noting that the court needed to understand precisely what threat was being referred to. Divinagracia clarified that she was asking about a serious threat against Duterte during the period in question.
Ortonio again said he had no personal knowledge of any such threat.
Divinagracia then asked Ortonio whether he knew of any identified threats against Duterte or the OVP when confidential funds were requested in 2022.
Ortonio said he could not personally answer the question and suggested that such information would more appropriately come from the OVP’s security personnel.
When asked whether he was personally aware of any identified threats against the Vice President or the office, Ortonio again responded that he had no personal knowledge.
Divinagracia also questioned whether the OVP had coordinated with law enforcement agencies regarding possible threats against Duterte or the office before the request for confidential funds was made to the Department of Budget and Management.
Ortonio said he had no information regarding such coordination.
The prosecution then sought to clarify whether security threats and coordination efforts with law enforcement agencies fell within Ortonio’s responsibilities as Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff.
After Ferrer objected that the question was complex and argumentative, Escudero directed the prosecution to break down the question.
When asked directly whether security matters were part of his duties, Ortonio said they were not.
“In relation to security matters, ma’am, no, that is not part of my duties as the Assistant Chief of Staff,” Ortonio said.
The testimony came as prosecutors examined the justification and intended use of confidential funds requested by the OVP in 2022. Ortonio, who was earlier declared a hostile witness, is being questioned about the OVP’s internal operations and the circumstances surrounding its confidential fund requests.
The prosecution is seeking to establish whether the funds were supported by legitimate confidential activities, while the defense has challenged the basis and framing of several of the prosecution’s questions.
The proceedings form part of 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.
