Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

Lead House prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 21, 2026. Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit

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VP Sara Impeachment

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178650455884320260722-senate-impeachment-day8-SSMU-WA-5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Lead House prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 21, 2026. Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit</span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro on Wednesday said Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense would eventually have to explain received her office&#x27;s confidential funds, saying that whether names listed in acknowledgment receipts were aliases or real persons was not the central issue in the impeachment trial. </p><p>Luistro made the remarks ahead of the cross-examination of Commission on Audit (COA) state auditor Xylene Del Campo, whose testimony on Tuesday centered on alleged violations of rules governing the disbursement and liquidation of confidential funds.</p><p>“The position of the defense is still unclear whether they are admitting these are aliases or claiming they are real persons,” Luistro said.</p><p>She said that regardless of whether the names were aliases, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) should still prove that confidential funds reached legitimate recipients and were disbursed in accordance with Joint Circular No. 2015-01, the rules governing confidential and intelligence funds.</p><p>“Whether allowed or not, they still have to explain who these recipients are and prove that the confidential funds actually reached them,” she said.</p><p>The issue of acknowledgment receipts resurfaced after prosecutor Lorna Kapunan presented some receipts with names that resembled public officials and common objects, during Tuesday’s hearing.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/11/another-piatos-politicians-surnames-emerge-in-ovp-confidential-fund-receipts-1227"><strong>Another &#x27;Piatos,&#x27; politicians&#x27; surnames emerge in OVP confidential fund receipts</strong></a></div><div><strong></strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/3/ovp-payment-to-mary-grace-piattos-raised-in-senate-trial-1556"><strong>OVP receipt for &#x27;Mary Grace Piattos&#x27; reaches Senate trial</strong></a><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/3/ovp-payment-to-mary-grace-piattos-raised-in-senate-trial-1556"></a><strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/3/ovp-payment-to-mary-grace-piattos-raised-in-senate-trial-1556"></a></strong></div><p>Luistro said previous House inquiries also obtained certifications from the Philippine Statistics Authority stating that several of the names did not appear in its database of birth, marriage or death records.</p><p>She said if the defense insists the names belong to actual persons, it would have to reconcile that position with the PSA certifications. If it argues they were aliases, she said it must still establish the identities of the recipients behind those aliases.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/11/-na-indian-po-kami-impeachment-prosecution-defense-fail-to-meet-over-receipts-1108"><strong>&#x27;Na-Indian po kami&#x27;: Impeachment prosecution, defense fail to meet over receipts</strong></a></div><p>Luistro stressed that the prosecution’s case is anchored not on the names themselves but on compliance with COA regulations.</p><p>During Tuesday’s hearing, Del Campo testified that Joint Circular No. 2015-01 neither expressly allows nor prohibits the use of aliases in confidential fund transactions. </p><p>She also said COA found no evidence showing the success of confidential operations for which rewards were supposedly paid and identified documents indicating activities conducted even before the covered disbursement period. </p><p>Luistro also cited Del Campo’s testimony that former Department of Education Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta admitted in previous House hearings that she turned over encashed confidential funds to the then head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, Col. Dennis Lachica.</p><p>According to Luistro, Del Campo considered the transfer an apparent violation of Joint Circular No. 2015-01, prompting COA to issue notices of disallowance.</p><p>As the trial proceeds, Luistro also called for an overhaul of the rules governing confidential funds, saying House investigations exposed loopholes in the current audit system.</p><p>“There are a lot of loopholes. I think it’s fair to revisit the Joint Circular, amend it, improve it and address all the shortcomings,” she said.</p><p>The Senate impeachment court is expected to hear Del Campo’s cross-examination by the defense on Wednesday. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/12/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-day-15-0957"><strong>LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Impeachment Trial (Day 15)</strong></a></div><div><strong><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/12/zubiri-pushes-to-move-duterte-impeachment-trial-to-afternoon-schedule-0718">Zubiri pushes to move Duterte impeachment trial to afternoon schedule</a></strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/O2ZJkT7JK90?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/zNI8X1pSlcU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro on Wednesday said Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense would eventually have to identify the actual recipients of confidential funds.</p>

House lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro on Wednesday said Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense would eventually have to identify the actual recipients of confidential funds.

Luistro: Duterte camp must explain recipients of confidential funds despite alias issue

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Luistro: Duterte camp must explain recipients of confidential funds despite alias issue

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 12, 2026 11:27 AM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

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