Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo questioned Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio over his failure to scrutinize documents related to the alleged purchase of medicines using confidential funds during the 19th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, August 26.
During the cross-examination, Tulfo asked Ortonio why he did not inquire into the specifics of the medicines allegedly purchased, including the prescriptions and receipts, which could have helped establish whether the funds were properly used.
“Sir, you are very highly educated person from a prestigious schools. C’mon, it doesn’t make sense,” Tulfo said, questioning why Ortonio did not ask what medicines were purchased and where the prescriptions were.
Tulfo said such scrutiny was necessary to ensure that the funds were actually used for their intended purpose and to rule out the possibility of misuse.
“‘Teka muna, anong klaseng mga medisina ang binili? Nasaan ‘yung reseta?’ Kasi malay mo baka hindi binili ng medisina, baka binili ng drugs or whatever, or baka may nagbulsa ng pera. ‘Yan kasi ang kailangan ng COA, resibo,” he said.
Ortonio, who testified that he was involved in the process concerning the release of the funds, said he did not ask for further details at the time but consulted the security officer regarding how the funds were released and implemented.
“At the time po, Sir, when I consulted with the security officer, I was not able to ask anymore—,” Ortonio said.
Tulfo then pressed the witness on why he failed to pursue the matter, noting that it was part of his responsibility.
“Why not? It’s part of your job. In fact, pumirma ka eh dun sa pag-reply mo sa AOM. So pumirma ka nang nakapikit?” Tulfo asked.
Ortonio denied signing the documents without reviewing them and maintained that he had asked questions about the process.
“No, sir. Hindi naman po na nakapikit because nagtanong naman po ako sa security officer namin on how it was released or implemented on the ground,” Ortonio replied.
The exchange centered on the level of scrutiny exercised by OVP officials over the use and documentation of confidential funds, particularly whether sufficient supporting documents were reviewed to ensure accountability and compliance with audit requirements.
