Testimony provided by former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta serves as a major “smoking gun” in the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, according to Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon.
Speaking at a media forum, Ridon—who serves on the House prosecution panel—expressed strong satisfaction with the details provided by Acosta during her appearance before the Senate impeachment court.
“We’re very much satisfied with how Ms. Acosta answered this week. Tingin ko ’yung kanya pong testimonya ang talaga pong isa sa mga smoking gun nitong paglilitis na ito,” Ridon said.
According to the prosecution panel member, Acosta explicitly named Duterte as the official who directed the transfer of P125 million in confidential funds to Colonel Lachica, despite Lachica not being a regular employee of the OVP.
“Directly itinuturo po niya ang Pangalawang Pangulo na nag-utos sa kanya na ibinigay po ’yung P125 million in confidential funds kay Colonel Lachica, na hindi organic OVP personnel,” he noted.
“’Yan po ’yung pinagdedebatihan doon po sa COA notice of disallowance, bakit nila ’yun binigay sa isang non-organic OVP personnel,” Ridon added.
Acosta, who was called as the trial’s first hostile witness regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds, testified that after encashing the ₱125-million check at a Landbank branch on December 20, 2022, she was instructed to release the sum directly to Lachica.
“Kasi po may instruction sa taas, sa aking head of agency, na kapag na-encash ang tseke, i-release ko po kay Sir Lachica… na dinesignate na security officer ng OVP,” Acosta testified before the impeachment court.
The prosecution panel anticipates further critical details to emerge as more witnesses are called to testify during the trial.
“I think we are expecting several smoking guns but we have to wait for the cannon,” Ridon remarked.
The impeachment proceedings are currently focused on Article I, which examines the alleged mismanagement of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds across both the OVP and the Department of Education (DepEd).