During the 17th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator Lito Lapid questioned why his family name appeared on acknowledgment receipts associated with Office of the Vice President (OVP) confidential funds.
The senator raised concerns that individuals listed under his surname might be fictitious identities rather than actual persons.
“Paano kung alias lang ’yun? Hindi totoong tao?” Lapid asked former OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta.
While highlighting the implications of unverified names, Lapid also adopted a lighter tone regarding the possibility of genuine familial ties, noting that he would welcome the validation if true.
“Magpapasalamat po ako kung totoong Lapid yung kamag-anak ko,” he remarked, adding that if the names were merely aliases, questions naturally arise over the use of his family name in official documents.
Acosta testified that the receipts were turned over by former OVP security officer Col. Raymund Lachica, who was tasked with carrying out confidential operations under an official order.
When Lapid asked whether she independently checked Lachica’s background or verified separate intelligence allocations, Acosta responded:
“Hindi ko alam, Your Honor,”
Further questioning from Lapid addressed the management of a second ₱125-million confidential fund tranche. Acosta explained that after withdrawals were processed and portions stored in the OVP vault, a remaining balance of ₱45 million was secured after over ₱80 million was distributed to Lachica based on submitted utilization reports.
These proceedings form part of Article I of the impeachment case, which centers on the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd).