Today is the 17th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The Senate impeachment court will continue to hear article 1 on the alleged misuse, questionable liquidation, and systematic misappropriation of confidential funds of Duterte.
3:27 p.m. - Former DepEd SDO Edward Fajarda is supposed to be presented tomorrow but allegedly has a medical condition. OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio will be presented tomorrow, instead.
The Senate impeachment court is adjourned. Trial will resume on Tuesday, August 25, 10 a.m.
3:17 p.m. - Escudero defers his ruling on the sub judice issue tomorrow because of the lack of time.
3:14 p.m. - Acosta is excused.
3:03 p.m. - Sen. Raffy Tulfo to Acosta: "Naaawa ako sa’yo. Kasi I believe in my heart hindi ka corrupt, ni singkong duling wala kang ginalaw doon sa confidential funds na daan-daang milyon and bilyones. Ang masakit nito, 'yung mga taong nakinabang doon, binulsa iyong ilang halaga sa perang iyon or totally binulsa ang mga perang 'yun, pangisi-ngisi ngayon habang ikaw dito gini-grill ka at pinagpapawisan ka. Kawawa ang dating mo at baka makulong ka pa. My heart goes to you."
2:40 p.m. - Senator-judge Lito Lapid interjects, asks Acosta where the P45 million of the second withdrawal of P125 million was.
Acosta says she put it in the OVP vault, but clarified that she later on gave this to Lachica after he submitted the fund utilization report and object of expenditure.
2:31 p.m. - Marcos asks Acosta how her husband, who is undergoing treatment in Davao, is doing.
Acosta fights back tears as she says, "Hindi po maganda."
2:29 p.m. - Senator-judge Imee Marcos asks Acosta if Duterte saw even one cent of the confidential fund and if she claimed any of it.
Acosta says no.
Marcos also asks if Duterte checked any of the acknowledgment receipts and other documents for personal authentication.
Acosta says the receipts were submitted to him by Lachica.
2:16 p.m. - Hontiveros asks Acosta if it is fair in case she is the one punished if ever wrongdoing is determined.
Acosta: "Alam ko po, Ma'am, na alam po ni Vice President Sara Duterte ang ginagawa niya."
2:14 p.m. - Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asks Acosta if she knows whether everything written on acknowledgment receipts are true. Hontiveros points out that one AR has the name Clarisse Hontiveros who was paid last Feb. 24, 2023, the same birthday of the lawmaker.
Acosta says she tried to verify certain information with Lachica who only told her that what she was asking was sensitive information and confidential in nature.
1:58 p.m. - Ligutan says the prosecution is yet to decide if they will present Lachica.
Senator-judge Joel Villanueva hopes Lachica will take the witness stand.
1:51 p.m. - Acosta tells Senate President Win Gatchalian that she has complete trust on Lachica because he was the one designated by VP Duterte as the security officer.
1:50 p.m. - Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo asks Acosta why she believed Lachica when the acknowledgment receipts supposedly had the same signatures.
Acosta says she believed Lachica because he was the one who implemented the activities on the ground.
Tulfo: "So, for me, in this case, you are stupid in the name of blind loyalty."
1:45 p.m. - Acosta says she knows Lachica does not have a fidelity bond.
A fidelity bond, according to the Bureau of Treasury, is used for the "faithful accounting of all public funds and property."
1:41 p.m. - Acosta says the recipients of the confidential funds are real people but the names are fictitious.
Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo asks her why she did not tell Lachica that real names are needed.
Acosta says the JC does not say that the name of a recipient is needed.
1:37 p.m. - Senator-judge Francis Pangilinan asks Acosta how she will watch over the disbursement if she does not know how the confidential fund is spent.
She says Lachica submitted a utilization report and that she believed him as security officer.
1:34 p.m. - Ligutan ends his redirect examination.
Bacquel, in his recross-examination, only asks about Acosta's use of Bisaya during the hearing of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability. Acosta says she remembers this and told the Committee that she will try her best to speak in English or Filipino.
Bacquel ends his recross.
Senator-judges now ask Acosta their questions.
1:27 p.m. - Acosta admits Lachica is not an accountable officer but says he was designated as the security officer by Duterte.
She says there is a document assigning Lachica to that position.
1:23 p.m. - Ligutan asks Acosta if it is not required for an SDO to have common sense.
Acosta: "May utak po ako, your honor."
Ligutan: "Hindi po ba required, at least man lang, ma'am, common sense naman lang, na kung sa tingin mo hindi tama yung nakasulat sa certification eh hindi mo pipirmahan?"
Bacquel objects to the question because the prosecution is supposedly badgering the witness.
Objection overruled.
Acosta insists that she has documents from Lachica after he implemented the confidential operations.
1:18 p.m. - Ligutan asks why Acosta was the one chosen as SDO if she had no training regarding confidential activities.
Acosta says she does not know why she was designated as SDO.
Ligutan: "Di po ba naging SDO ka because you follow orders blindly? Naging SDO ka kasi sinusunod mo lang lahat ng utos sa'yo, for example, ng Vice President?"
Acosta: "Hindi ko alam, your honor... Basta ako ginagawa ko lang, your honor, ang aking pagiging SDO."
1:15 p.m. - Ligutan says the Joint Circular designates the responsibility regarding confidential fund to the SDO, not the security officer.
Acosta says she was the one who disbursed while Lachica implemented.
1:06 p.m. - Ligutan points out that Acosta was able to quickly answer the questions of the defense as compared to her demeanor when he was the one asking questions.
1:05 p.m. - The defense ends its cross-examination. Ligutan proceeds with redirect examination.
1:04 p.m. - Bacquel also asks Acosta if she received COA's Notice of Disallowance for the OVP on April 8, 2026, while the House Committee on Justice was conducting its hearing, even though they have submitted their liquidation in 2023.
Acosta says she received the said notice, but cannot answer as to the House hearing because she does not watch the news.
1 p.m. - The prosecutions starts its recross.
12:53 p.m. - Acosta confirms that the Joint Circular does not prohibit getting inputs and guidance from the security officer in preparing the Physical Financial Plan, the Accomplishment Report, Liquidation Report, and Certification.
She says the JC also does not require the signature of the security officer.
12:50 p.m. - Bacquel asks Acosta if it is correct that the Office of the President approved the OVP's request for confidential fund.
Acosta says yes.
Bacquel also asks if the confidential fund is allocated in the General Appropriations Act (GAA) which was approved by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Acosta answers yes.
12:43 p.m. - Acosta confirms that it is the security officer who has access to security information based on the Joint Circular.
12:41 p.m. - Bacquel asks Acosta if Joint Circular 2015-01 prohibits the reliance on documents provided by a security officer. She says there is no such provision.
12:39 p.m. - Acosta says she has no training related to confidential activities and no law enforcement or military background.
She adds she had no authority to access security and classified information when she was still SDO of OVP.
12:38 p.m. - Acosta says there was no Audit Observation Memorandum, Notice of Suspension, and Notice of Disallowance from the COA issued to her or Duterte when Acosta was still SDO of Davao City.
12:32 p.m. - Trial resumes. The defense begins its cross-examination.
11:46 a.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court takes a brief recess. Trial will resume at 12:30 p.m.
11:38 a.m. - Acosta says the OVP's liquidation reports were certified based on the documents given to her by Lachica.
11:31 a.m. - Ligutan says Acosta cannot verify if Lachica indeed gave the confidential fund to the supposed recipients.
Acosta: "Nag-verify po ako kay Colonel Lachica, your honor, nag-rely po sa kanya, your honor, kasi siya po ang nag-implement ng mga confidential activities."
11:26 a.m. - Ligutan shows acknowledgment receipts for the use of confidential funds. Acosta says she did not see Lachica give money to the recipients because she was not with him on the ground.
She says she verified with Lachica who supposedly replied that those are the valid receipts to prove the confidential fund was used. Lachica also told Acosta that those matters are sensitive and confidential.
11:16 a.m. - Ligutan asks Acosta if she has a single official receipt from Lachica for the P75 million spent for the purchase of medical and food aid for the fourth quarter of 2022.
Acosta says there is no OR, just acknowledgment receipts.
Acosta recalls asking Lachica because some documents did not have dates and names: "Ang sagot naman sa akin ni SO Officer, 'Ma'am Gina kung anoman ang binigay ko sa'yo na mga dokumento, yun na. Kasi ang mga transakyson o operation doon is sensitive infromation.'"
11:11 a.m. - Ligutan moves on to the matter of the P16 million spent for safehouses from December 21 to 31, 2022 or P1.4 million per day.
He asks Acosta if this is not unconscionable and extravagant.
Acosta says she only relied on their security officer.
10:59 a.m. - Ligutan: "Ito 'yung modus operandi ninyo, ibibigay 'yung pera sa isang security officer, hindi bonded, tsaka babawiin, sinasabi mo, ng pinagbigyan ng pera ang acknowledgment receipt."
Atty. Lindon Bacquel, counsel for the respondent, objects.
Senator-judge and Presiding Officer says modus has a secondary meaning and says it is better to ask if this is the standard operating procedure that Acosta followed in both Davao City and under the OVP.
Acosta confirms this is their SOP.
10:56 a.m. - Acosta confirms she does not have any acknowledgement receipt or document to prove that Lachica received the confidential funds in 2022 to 2023 because the receipts were returned to him.
10:54 a.m. - Acosta says Lachica signed receipts proving he received the confidential funds but these were returned to him after Acosta submitted a liquidation report to the Commission on Audit (COA).
10:42 a.m. - Acosta says tree-planting was included in the activities covered by confidential funds because the security officer will need to conduct surveillance prior to the event to ensure the safety of the Vice President.
Ligutan shows an August 13, 2026 tree-planting activity of the VP in Nunungan, Lanao del Norte and asks if the OVP has confidential funds for 2026.
Acosta says there is none.
According to Ligutan, the tree-planting activity was successfully conducted even if the OVP does not have confidential funds for 2026.
10:35 a.m. - Acosta confirms also giving P125 million of confidential fund to Lachica in the first, second, and third quarter of 2023 or a total of P500 million since 2022.
Acosta says this is because Lachica was designated by VP Duterte to implement projects regarding confidential activities.
10:28 a.m. - Acosta says she is also aware of section 6.1.6 of the Joint Circular.
Ligutan points out that despite knowing this, Acosta still disbursed the confidential fund to Col. Raymund Lachica, the OVP's security officer who was then chief of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG).
Photo courtesy: Senate 10:25 a.m. - Ligutan shows a portion of Joint Circular 2015-01 which says that confidential funds cannot be transferred from one accountable officer to another.
Acosta says she is aware of this.
Photo courtesy: Senate10:21 a.m. - Ligutan asks Acosta if it is correct that the confidential funds allocated to Davao City under then Mayor Sara Duterte was P460 million in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
She says she cannot remember because it has been a long time already and because of her age.
10:16 a.m. - Acosta says she suggested to Vice President Sara Duterte the use of four traveling bags in withdrawing the P125 million confidential fund in December 20, 2022.
Attorney Amando Ligutan, counsel for the panel of prosecutors, asks Acosta how she was able to know that the amount would fit in four traveling bags.
Acosta says she just estimated.
10:10 a.m. - Gina Acosta, the former Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is called to the witness stand for the continuation of the prosecution's direct examination.
10:08 a.m. - Quorum is declared with 17 senator-judges present.
10:04 a.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court convenes. Senator-judge Joel Villanueva leads the opening prayer.
LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial (Day 16)