‘VP ordered P125-million released to security chief Lachica’

An excerpt from the testimony of Gina Acosta, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer, is flashed on the screen in this photo taken during impeachment proceedings on August 17, 2026. (Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines)

A former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer on Monday directly identified Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte as the official who ordered the release of P125 million in confidential funds to her security officer, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, in December 2022.

Gina Acosta made the disclosure while testifying as a hostile witness before the Senate Impeachment Court, saying Duterte instructed her to turn over the entire amount to Lachica after she encashed the check on Dec. 20, 2022.

“It was Ma’am Sara Duterte who ordered me to release the P125 million to Security Officer Col. Lachica,” Acosta said.

She said she called Lachica after encashing the check because Duterte, whom she considered her head of agency, had instructed her to release the money to him.

Acosta also affirmed her previous testimony before the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability that she gave the money to Lachica because Duterte had directed her to do so, as he knew how to implement programs and activities related to confidential operations.

“It has Ma’am Inday Sara’s approval,” Acosta said, adding that she would not have handed over the money without the Vice President’s approval.

Acosta said her trust in Lachica was based on Duterte’s trust in him.

‘Good Governance Program’ a generic fund plan

Acosta also testified that the OVP’s physical and financial plan for its P125-million confidential fund allocation for the final quarter of 2022 placed the entire amount under a broad “Good Governance Program” without identifying specific surveillance operations by number, location or cost.

Acosta, who was identified as the project accountable officer, said she prepared and signed the plan with input from Lachica, then the OVP security officer and head of its security group.

She acknowledged that a physical and financial plan was required before confidential funds could be released under Joint Circular No. 2015-01, issued by the Commission on Audit, Department of Budget and Management, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Governance Commission for GOCCs and Department of National Defense.

The circular requires confidential and intelligence fund allocations to be supported by a plan specifying proposed amounts for each program, activity and project.

It also requires accomplishment reports to provide specific expenditure details and cash advances to be used for specific legal purposes related to confidential or intelligence activities.

Acosta said she relied on Lachica’s operational guidance in preparing the plan.

“I asked our security officer for inputs or guidelines in preparing the physical and financial plan,” she testified.

The plan listed only a “Good Governance Program,” which Acosta said covered OVP activities such as Libreng Sakay (free rides to the public), tree planting, and financial and medical assistance.

OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta testifies as a hostile witness during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on August 17, 2026. (Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines) 

Asked whether she had personal knowledge of studies conducted in developing the program, she said she did not.

Acosta also admitted that the plan contained no detailed list of activities, saying she understood that the Joint Circular did not require them to be itemized.

Although the plan included descriptions of physical targets involving surveillance areas and monitoring, it contained no numerical targets.

The plan was later approved by Duterte, Acosta confirmed.

Prosecution allowed to ask leading questions

The testimony came after the impeachment court declared Acosta a hostile witness, allowing private prosecutor Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan to ask leading questions.

Presiding Officer Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero granted the prosecution’s motion after Acosta confirmed that Duterte remained her boss and that she currently holds a coterminous position as Vice Presidential Staff Officer VI.

Asked whether she would lose her OVP post if Duterte were impeached or removed from office, Acosta said: “I would no longer have a job at the OVP.”

Escudero cited Acosta’s employment circumstances and her counter-affidavit filed before the Office of the Ombudsman in declaring her hostile.

“In addition to the ground raised by Attorney Ligutan that the witness has taken a position by virtue of her counter-affidavit filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, the court hereby declares the witness to be a hostile witness under and in accordance with Rule 132, Section 13,” Escudero ruled.

The defense had opposed the motion, arguing that Acosta’s adverse interest should first be established during her examination and that the pendency of a complaint against her did not by itself make her hostile. Escudero rejected the argument.

Acosta is the first witness formally declared hostile in Duterte’s impeachment trial.

The P125 million was the first of four tranches of confidential funds totaling P500 million allocated to the OVP in 2022 and 2023.

The P500 million forms part of the P612.5 million in confidential funds at the center of Article I of Duterte’s impeachment complaint, including P112.5 million allocated to the Department of Education while Duterte was education secretary.

Lachica’s operational role, Acosta’s reliance 

Acosta further testified that Lachica supplied key operational inputs and expenditure information for the OVP’s confidential fund plans and reports, while his role was not identified in documents submitted to the COA.

She said she formally prepared the documents but relied on Lachica for the substance of the confidential operations.

“He was the one who provided me with inputs or guidelines regarding the activities involved in conducting confidential operations,” Acosta said.

She also confirmed that Lachica provided the list of expenditure categories.

Acosta said she discussed proposed expenses with Lachica and included them in the plan after she was satisfied with his explanations.

Her reliance on Lachica continued during liquidation. She said her liquidation report was based on a fund utilization report he provided, showing where the money was spent, the expense categories and the amounts.

Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero bangs the gavel at the resumption of the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on August 17, 2026. (Courtesy: Senate of the Philippines) 

Asked by Escudero whether she had rejected any liquidation report submitted by Lachica for the P125 million released in the fourth quarter of 2022, Acosta did not identify one.

“I accepted all the reports he submitted because he knew how to implement the confidential activities. He was the expert on the ground,” she said.

Acosta also testified that Lachica implemented all the OVP’s confidential activities in 2023 because he had the expertise and access required for national security operations.

“He is the expert in implementing confidential operations and activities because he has access when it comes to national security,” she said.

Acosta said she herself lacked the expertise to implement such activities.

“I have no knowledge. I am not an expert in implementing various confidential activities or operations on the ground,” she said.

She identified Lachica as the commanding officer of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group and said Duterte had designated him to handle security matters involving confidential operations.

COA: Lachica not an accountable officer

COA state auditors Roderick Wamil and Xylene del Campo testified last week that Lachica was authorized by Duterte to disburse all P500 million in OVP confidential funds even though he was not an accountable officer under Joint Circular No. 2015-01.

Acosta admitted she could not identify any provision in the circular authorizing a security officer to disburse confidential funds, noting that disbursement was her responsibility as the OVP’s designated special disbursing officer.

Ligutan also asked whether any physical and financial plan, accomplishment report, liquidation report or certification submitted to COA identified Lachica as the source of the operational inputs or as the person who implemented the programs.

Acosta answered: “There was none.”

The prosecution presented the testimony as showing a gap between Acosta’s formal role as accountable officer and Lachica’s operational role in planning, implementing and reporting the use of the confidential funds.

The prosecution said it also intends to establish that Duterte instructed Acosta to encash the P500 million in four tranches from December 2022 to July 2023 and turn over the money to an OVP security officer.

It further seeks to establish that the P500 million was not properly liquidated and that its disbursement involved violations of Joint Circular No. 2015-01.

The allegations remain part of the prosecution’s case and are subject to Acosta’s testimony and the defense’s cross-examination. — Maricel Cruz