Prosecution drops Lachica, Nolasco, Madriaga as witnesses

MANILA, Philippines — The prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial would no longer call three who were expected to provide key testimony on the alleged misuse of confidential funds, saying it has established a strong case already.

In an online press briefing on Friday, prosecution spokesperson and advisor Robert Ace Barbers said that former Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) officials Col. Raymund Dante Lachica and Col. Dennis Nolasco, as well as former Duterte aide Ramil Madriaga, would no longer summoned to testify, as the prosecution believes it has already met the three requirements under Article I of the Articles of Impeachment.

READ: Gina Acosta again says Duterte ordered P125M release to Lachica

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Article I deals with the alleged misuse of confidential funds (CF) lodged within Duterte’s offices, P500 million with the Office of the Vice President (OVP) from 2022 to 2023, and P112.5 million with the Department of Education for the first three quarters of 2023.

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“Hindi naman na necessary ‘yong statement ni Col. Lachica dahil nga all the previous witnesses na iniharap ng prosecution at ‘yong mga ebidensyang pinakita sa impeachment court already substantiates ‘yong ating allegations dito sa Article I — ‘yong misuse, ginamit sa mga bagay na hindi in accordance with the Joint Circular,” Barbers told reporters.

(The statements of Col. Lachica are no longer necessary because all the previous witnesses presented by the prosecution and the evidence shown by the impeachment court already substantiates our allegations here in Article I — the misuse, that these funds were used for matters not in accordance with the Joint Circular.)

He said the prosecution panel believes it has established a strong case, although the final assessment rests with the senator-judges.

“Nasa kamay na po ng ating mga Senators-judges kung ano ang kanilang titingan na mas matimbang dito sa mga iniharap natin,” he added.

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(It is now in the hands of our senator-judges how they will appreciate the evidence and testimonies we have presented.)

Lachica, former head of the VPSPG, was identified as the person who received the P500 million OVP CF from former special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta — who earlier testified that it was Duterte who ordered her to transfer the amount to the military official.

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Acosta also admitted during the trial that she handed OVP’s CFs to Lachica even if she knew that the latter was not a bonded official — or someone who has issued a bond, in accordance with Item No. 6.1.2 of the Joint Circular No. 2015-01 of the Commission on Audit (COA) and other government offices using CFs.

Under the circular, cash advances for confidential and intelligence funds must be drawn by duly designated and bonded SDOs or the head of agency for programs, activities and projects chargeable to such funds.

READ: Acosta admits handing CF to Lachica despite knowing he was not bonded

Barbers argued that Lachica’s status as a security official and not an OVP employee further supports the prosecution’s allegations involving the release of the funds.

Nolasco was also linked to the handling of confidential funds from the DepEd.

Nolasco was also linked to the handling of confidential funds from the DepEd.

Former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa who previously testified that former DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda released confidential funds to Nolasco upon Duterte’s orders.

Fajarda’s possible appearance before the impeachment court remains uncertain because of his health condition. He had previously told a House committee in 2024 that he transferred the confidential funds to Nolasco.

READ: Security officer picked by VP Duterte disbursed confidential funds

These statements and the fact that neither Lachica nor Nolasco are OVP and DepEd employees already show violations in the use and liquidation of CFs within Duterte’s office, Barbers claimed.

“At sabi niya (Acosta), upon the orders of the Vice President ibinigay niya ‘yong pera kay Col Lachica who is not even an employee of the Office of the Vice President and is not in charge of disbursing all these funds kasi ang trabaho ni Col. Lachica, bantayan ang ating Pangalawang Pangulo, i-secure siya, ‘yon lamang ang kanyang role ‘di ba?” Barbers said.

(And she (Acosta) said, she gave the funds to Col. Lachica upon the orders of the Vice President, even if he is not an employee of the Office of the Vice President and is not in charge of disbursing all these funds, because Col. Lachica’s actual job is to secure the Vice President, that’s his role, right?)

As for Madriaga, Barbers said the former’s statements during the House committee on justice hearing last April, regarding the two impeachment complaints against Duterte, delivered one of the highlights as it was the first time that any person provided a possible glimpse into how the CFs were allegedly misused and transferred.

Madriaga claimed during the April 14 hearing that Duterte ordered him in December 2022 to coordinate with Col. Dennis Nolasco, regarding the deliveries of cash to allies in San Pablo, Laguna; a comedy bar in Quezon City, and the Office of the Ombudsman parking lot as a way of “returning a favor.”

READ: Madriaga: OVP’s 2022 secret funds spent in 1 day, not 11 days

According to Madriaga, four large duffle bags were unloaded from the vehicles, three of them were dark and one was light-colored — containing around P30 million to P35 million each — corresponding to the P125 million CF issued to OVP in December 2022. 

Madriaga claimed that he liquidated the P125 million CF in one day, and not the reported 11 days.

Some details in Madriaga’s account were later echoed by witnesses presented before the impeachment court.

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Acosta testified that four oblong-shaped traveling bags were used to carry the OVP’s P125 million confidential fund from a LandBank branch in Shaw Boulevard. /dp