Sara Duterte ex-security officer invokes confidentiality on secret funds

MANILA, Philippines — “Kung ano man ang binigay ko sa’yo na mga dokumento, yun na yun.”

(Whatever document I submitted to you, that would be it).

This was how Vice President Sara Duterte’s former special disbursing  officer (SDO) Gina Acosta recalled Duterte’s then-security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica responded when asked how the confidential funds released to him were utilized.

Article continues after this advertisement

At the resumption of the vice president’s impeachment trial on Monday, private prosecutor Amando Ligutan questioned Acosta, a hostile witness,  about the P125 million in confidential funds released to the Office of the Vice President from Dec 21 to 31, 2022.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

READ: OVP’s P125-M confidential fund in 2022 spent in just 11 days, Quimbo admits

Of the amount, Ligutan noted that P16 million went for  rental  of other incidental expenses relative to the maintenance of safe houses.

“Tanong,  hindi nyo po ba masasabi ito ay unconscionable? Kasuklam-suklam or extravagant or labis-labis?” the prosecutor asked.

(Question: Wouldn’t you consider this unconscionable, abhorrent, extravagant, or excessive?)

Article continues after this advertisement

Even before the witness could answer him,  defense lawyer Lindon Bacquel objected, saying the question was argumentative.

READ: VP Trial Day 17: Gina Acosta to continue testimony on confidential funds

Article continues after this advertisement

But Ligutan went on to ask the witness: “Hindi  po ba kasuklam-suklam, labis-labis, in English unconscionable and extravagant as mentioned in the circular for the Office of the President to spend  P16 million  in 11 days or a total of P1.4 million—hindi nga per month, per day?”

(Wouldn’t it be abhorrent or excessive—in English, unconscionable and extravagant, as mentioned in the circular—for the Office of the President to spend P16 million in just 11 days, or a total of P1.4 million—not per month, but per day?”

The circular he was referring to was a 2015 joint circular on the government’s use of confidential and  intelligence funds.

Bacquel raised another objection, but presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero overruled it and  directed the witness to answer the question.

Echoing Ligutan’s question, Escudero asked the witness if she did not find it difficult to accept that such a large amount was spent on renting safe houses for just 11 days.

“Hindi po ba para sa inyo, katanggap -tanggap po ba yun o hindi?” the presiding officer asked.

(Do you consider that acceptable or not?)

In response, Acosta repeated that she only relied to the documents provided to him by Lachica, who  implemented the confidential activities of the  vice president.

She gave the same answer when asked about the confidential funds worth a total of P75 million for the purchase of supplies and provision for medical and food aid.

On  Escudero’s query as to whether Lachica’s  documents included any official receipts (ORs), Acosta said that acknowledgment receipts (ARs) were submitted to her. 

“Bakit hindi kayo naghanap galing kay Col. Lachica?  Hindi nyo ba naisip Ma’am:  Col. Lachica kahit ba yung pagbili ng gamot… Bakit hindi tayo mag produce ng official receipt? Ano po yung napaka-confidential kung saan binili Biogesic, Paracetamol? Hindi mo ba naisip tanungin kay Col. Lachica yan?” Ligutan asked.

(Why didn’t you ask Col. Lachica for them? Didn’t you think, Ma’am, that even for the purchase of medicines, we should produce an official receipt? What is so confidential about buying Biogesic or paracetamol? Didn’t you think of asking Col. Lachica about that?)

Escudero seconded Ligutan’s query despite the defense lawyer’s objection.

“Ms. Gina , hindi nyo  ba naisip humingi ng OR?” the presiding officer asked.

(Ms. Gina, didn’t you think of asking for an official receipt?)

It was at this  point that  Acosta said he also asked Lachica about the confidential expenses.

“Your honor as I browsed, or as I verified  po ng mga acknowledgment receipts  na binigay sakin ni security officer Lachica,  naitanong ko po sya. May napansin po ako na ang iba walang date, walang name, walang pirma,” she said.

(“Your Honor, as I browsed through or verified the acknowledgment receipts given to me by Security Officer Lachica, I asked him about them. I noticed that some of them had no date, no name, and no signature.)

“Ang sagot  naman sakin ni security officer: Maam Gina, kung ano man ang binigay ko sayo ng mga dokumento, yun na yun. Kasi ang mga transaction, or  operation doon ay very sensitive information  at saka  confidential po ito.  Kaya kung ano binigay ko sa’yo na mga acknowledgement  receipts, yun po yun,”  she added.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

(Security Officer Lachica’s response to me was, ‘Ma’am Gina, whatever documents I gave you, that’s all there is. The transactions or operations involved very sensitive and confidential information. So, whatever acknowledgment receipts I gave you, that’s all there is.) /mr