Sara Duterte trial: What was Acosta’s ‘canned answer’ that frustrated the court?

WITNESS. Former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta listens to prosecution counsel Amado Virgil Ligutan (on screen) during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on August. 17, 2026.

Aaron Favila/Pool via Reuters

'I don't want to hear the template,' Senator Tito Sotto says of the answers of former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta

AT A GLANCE

• Prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan questioned former special disbursing officer Gina Acosta during Vice President Sara Duterte's trial, highlighting her repetitive and seemingly scripted answers.
• Acosta was involved in the controversial release of over P500 million in confidential funds to Duterte's security chief, which raised concerns about adherence to government regulations.
• While some prosecution team members believe Acosta's responses were cautious rather than scripted, frustration among senator-judges was evident as they struggled to obtain clear answers from her.

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Is former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer Gina Acosta sticking to a script?

That appeared to be the point private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan was making as he drew attention to the similar answers given by his hostile witness on the 17th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial on Monday, August 24.

Acosta was the special disbursing officer who handed Duterte’s security chief, Raymund Lachica, over P500 million in OVP confidential funds, a move that appeared to run counter to a 2015 government joint circular stipulating that only the SDO could handle such secret funds.

“(Lachica) is the security officer assigned by Vice President Sara Duterte to implement confidential activities,” Acosta said.

Ligutan tried to confirm: “In total, you gave P500 million in public funds to an unbonded officer?”

“I released it to Colonel Lachica because he was assigned by Vice President, he is the security officer, he is the expert on the implementation of projects and programs related to operation of confidential activities,” Acosta replied, repeating an earlier answer.

“Don’t you notice that for my various questions, you seem to have the same answer?” Ligutan countered.

This wouldn’t be the first time Ligutan would call out Acosta during the trial, because Acosta would cling to her seemingly scripted response.

“There you go again,” Ligutan said at one point. “Manifestation: another canned answer to a separate question,” he added. Defense lawyer Lindon Bacquel moved to strike Ligutan’s comment from the records, but presiding officer Chiz Escudero did not grant his request.

Some impeachment trial spectators observed last week that Ligutan seemed to have been gentle with Acosta, but that was definitely not the case on Monday.

When Ligutan pressed Acosta about her stint as special disbursing officer for the Davao City government, the former OVP officer said she could remember little. But when the defense took over the questioning, her memory appeared to sharpen, as she answered a succession of questions about her previous government role.

“I have to interject a continuing objection (on the ground of incompetence),” Ligutan said at Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday, August 24. “Magically, this witness remembers what happened in Davao.”

Some members of the prosecution team, however, are still giving Acosta the benefit of the doubt.

“I don’t think it’s scripted, but she was (playing) safe,” House prosecutor Keith Flores said. “Very different (from her House appearance before).”

“The best way to evade a question is to stick with a line. Maybe that’s her way of replying so no further questions will be asked,” prosecution spokesman Ace Barbers added.

Some senator-judges though made less effort to hide their frustration about her answers.

“You’re stupid in the name of blind loyalty,” Senator Raffy Tulfo told her.

“I cannot extract an answer from you,” Senator Ping Lacson said.

“I don’t want to hear the template,” Senator Tito Sotto added.