A FORMER Office of the Vice-President (OVP) special disbursing officer admitted releasing P500 million in confidential funds to an unbonded security officer, raising questions in Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s impeachment trial over compliance with government disbursement rules.
Gina F. Acosta, the OVP’s former special disbursing officer, said she released the funds to Colonel Raymund Dante Lachica despite not being a bonded officer. Mr. Lachica was then head of the Vice-Presidential Security and Protection Group.
“In my view, he had provided me with a fund utilization report that I could cross-check against the object of expenditures he gave me,” she told the Senate impeachment court on Monday. “The amounts matched, and the expenses he should have incurred were also reflected there.”
Joint Circular 2015-01 requires confidential funds to be handed to a bonded officer, House of Representatives prosecution counsel Amando Virgil D. Ligutan said during his presentation of Ms. Acosta as a hostile witness.
Senator Erwin T. Tulfo questioned Ms. Acosta on how the OVP ensured proper disbursement after the funds were handed to Mr. Lachica.
Ms. Acosta said she relied on Mr. Lachica’s fund utilization reports and acknowledgement receipts to liquidate the funds. She said the amounts in the reports matched the listed expenses.
Senate President Sherwin T. Gatchalian also questioned the liquidation process, prompting Ms. Acosta to confirm that Ms. Duterte had ordered the quarterly release of confidential funds to Mr. Lachica.
Ms. Acosta released P125 million to Mr. Lachica each quarter for four quarters from 2022 to 2023, for a total of P500 million.
“I had full confidence in Colonel Lachica because first and foremost, he was designated by Vice-President Sara as the security officer of the Office of the Vice-President,” Ms. Acosta said. “He was also the commanding officer of the Vice-Presidential Security [and] Protection Group.”
She maintained that the funds were properly liquidated and that the expenditures were allowed, including a tree-planting activity that she said involved surveillance of the area.
Senator Ana Theresia N. Hontiveros-Baraquel also questioned an acknowledgement receipt addressed to a person identified as “Clarisse Hontiveros” and signed on Feb. 24, 2023. Ms. Hontiveros said the date matched her own birth date.
Ms. Acosta said she had tried to verify acknowledgement receipts through Mr. Lachica, who would usually tell her that the details were confidential and sensitive.
She said she did not recall noticing the details on the specific receipt when Ms. Hontiveros questioned her.
The impeachment court will reconvene on Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. for the House prosecution panel’s presentation of OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel G. Ortonio. — Kaela Patricia B. Gabriel