Lachica had ‘people go on the ground’ to handle OVP secret funds – witness

MANILA, Philippines—Col. Raymund Lachica, the former security officer in the Office of the Vice President (OVP), got help on the ground when he implemented the agency’s confidential funds to its informants or agents.

This is what a witness in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial intimated on Wednesday.

At the continuation of the trial, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian asked OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, the second hostile witness of the prosecution team, how Lachica explained the confidential expenses amounting to a total of P500 million.

Article continues after this advertisement

Ortonio was tasked to answer the Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) issued by the Commission on Audit in connection with the OVP’s confidential funds while Lachica implemented the office’s confidential activities. 

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

At first, the witness said he recalled asking Lachica how the funds for medical and food supplies were given to the informants and the agents.

“So from there po, Sir, na-mention nya, Sir, na (he mentioned that) the funds were released to the  informants and agents based on their representation that those funds will be used for the purchase of medical and food supplies,” Ortonio said.

He could not recall, however, whether the security himself distributed the funds to the recipients. 

But when Gatchalian asked: “Kwenento nya ba sa’yo na mayroon ba syang kasamang iba sa pagbibigay nitong cash kasi libo-libo yung ARs (acknowledgement receipts)?”

Article continues after this advertisement

(Did he tell you if he had anyone assisting him in distributing the cash, considering that there were thousands of ARs (acknowledgment receipts)?)

“Hindi nya po nakwento specifically, Sir. Although if I can recall, based on my recollection, meron po syang na-mention na meron pong syang mga… hindi ko alam kung ano ng term nya, Sir, but mayroon syang mga people who go directly on the ground,” the witness said.

Article continues after this advertisement

(He did not specifically tell me, Sir. Although, if I can recall correctly, he mentioned that he had some… I’m not sure what term he used, Sir—but he had people who go directly on the ground.)

The Senate president pressed on, saying that Ortonio should have asked the security officer how did he spend the confidential funds of the OVP.

Ortonio only repeated his answer that Lachica had people who worked with him on the ground.

“Based on my recollection lang, Sir, he mentioned yun nga, Sir, mayroon syang mga (he had) people who worked on the ground. That’s the only extent of the information I can recall, Sir, when I had a consultation with Col. Lachica,” he said.

The witness earlier told the Senate impeachment court that Lachica was not an employee of the OVP, but he was designated as the group commander for the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.

Then, on Duterte’s order, the P500 million in confidential funds was given to Lachica to implement the OVP’s confidential operations. /apl

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

(Note: The English translations in the article were AI-generated. )