Testimony over the alleged misuse of confidential funds in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte focused on the handling of large cash withdrawals on Wednesday, after the prosecution's first witness told the Senate impeachment court that the ₱125 million withdrawn from the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) Shaw Boulevard Branch was placed in several "gym bags."
During the 10th day of the impeachment trial, former LandBank Shaw Boulevard Branch manager Violeta Constantino testified before the Senate impeachment court as the prosecution's first witness under Article I, which concerns the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds.
House Prosecutor Rep. Joel Chua asked Constantino to describe the bags used to carry the cash after the withdrawal.
“Anong klaseng bag ang pinaglagyan ng pera kung maalala po ninyo?," Chua asked.
Constantino answered, “Sa pagkaalala ko po, isang mahabang malaking bag po siya. Para pong gym bag.”
Constantino testified that the ₱125 million was loaded into three to four gym bags before Gina F. Acosta, then the Office of the Vice President's Special Disbursing Officer, and Lemuel Ortonio left the bank.
“Sa pagkaalala ko po, mga 3 to 4 bags po yan,” Constantino said.
She added that after the money was placed inside the bags, Acosta and her companions simply left the bank.
Asked whether bank personnel helped carry the bags, Constantino said no assistance was provided because doing so would violate bank policy.
“It's against bank policy po na tumulong po sa mga kliyente, ang mga empleyado or even po yung security guards po namin,” she testified.
She explained that the policy is intended to protect both the bank and its personnel once physical cash has been released.
“For safety and security measures din po para hands-off na po ang banko once na ma-release na po yung physical cash.”
Constantino also confirmed that the total value of the four checks encashed by Acosta amounted to approximately half a billion pesos.
“Ang total po ng apat na cheque... kalahating billion po.”
During questioning by senator-judges, Sen. Raffy Tulfo scrutinized Constantino's recollection of how the cash was transported, noting that ₱125 million in cash would weigh approximately 125 kilograms, based on Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas estimates.
Tulfo questioned whether such an amount could realistically fit inside three gym bags.
“Dapat sigurado, tatlo, apat, lima... Kasi kung ₱125 million at tatlong gym bag, eh ganoon lang kalaki 'yun... Baka nagkakamali po kayo,” Tulfo said.
Constantino maintained that the money was placed in three to four gym bags, later clarifying that she recalled about four bags. She also disclosed that while no bank employee carried the cash, the bank provided a trolley to assist Acosta and her companions in transporting the bags.
Tulfo further asked why the bank did not offer an armored vehicle to transport such a large amount of cash.
Constantino responded that LandBank had no memorandum of agreement for cash delivery services with the Office of the Vice President and that no request for armored cash transport had been made.
The testimony forms part of the prosecution's effort to establish how confidential funds were withdrawn and handled under Article I of the impeachment complaint against Vice President Duterte. Defense lawyers are expected to cross-examine the witness as the Senate impeachment court continues hearing evidence on the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
