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Erwin Tulfo questions Gina Acosta's 'language barrier' at Senate trial

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Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

<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/1786944501763composites 2 (1) (26).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo pointed out that during the 2024 House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearings, Gina Acosta did not have a problem with using Tagalog in her responses. <em>Screen grab from Senate of the Philippines livestream/Composite</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) — Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Monday raised doubts on <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/17/who-is-prosecution-s-first-hostile-witness-gina-acosta-1242">hostile witness Gina Acosta</a>&#x27;s supposed difficulty with speaking in Filipino or English at the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.</p><p>Acosta, former Office of the Vice President special disbursing officer and currently a member of its staff, answered questions in Bisaya on Monday morning, prompting the Senate impeachment court to try to look for a translator.</p><p>Prosecution counsel Amando Virgil Ligutan tried to translate for Acosta and for the court.</p><p>But Tulfo said he had checked the transcription of the 2024 House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearings where, he said, Acosta did not have a problem responding in Filipino.</p><p>Describing the seeming language barrier as &quot;deception&quot;, Tulfo asked the court to compel Acosta to respond in Filipino.</p><p>&quot;I know Ms. Witness you can understand Tagalog, you can speak Tagalog dahil nandito po ito ilang pahina po ito (because there are several pages of this),&quot; he said, holding up a transcript of the 2024 House hearing. </p><p>He noted Acosta had also responded in English to questions asked in English.</p><p>&quot;Bakit ngayon parang hirap na hirap, kailangan i-translate sa Tagalog sa Bisaya [ang] sagot …Aabutin ho tayo ng isang taon dito, Mr. President,&quot; Tulfo said.</p><p>(How come now, it seems so difficult for you that we have to translate to Tagalog and to Bisaya... this will take us an entire year, Mr. President.) </p><p>Bisaya is widely spoken in the Philippines but the official languages are Filipino and English. </p><p>Tulfo pointed out Acosta is a government official and would have to be familiar with the two languages.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>SOME BISAYA ALLOWED </strong></div><p>As she took the witness stand on <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vz3vS_H43MQ">Monday&#x27;s trial</a>, Acosta asked the Senate court whether she could incorporate Bisaya in her responses to direct examination by Ligutan.</p><p>Escudero, also a lawyer and who understands some Bisaya, urged Acosta to answer in Filipino or English but allowed some leeway for her use of the regional language.</p><p>But, as the direct examination progressed, the setup proved challenging for Ligutan and Escudero, who both tried in several instances to interpret the Bisaya terms in Acosta&#x27;s responses.</p><p>They also had to rephrase questions multiple times, as Acosta claimed she had struggled to understand them.</p><p>Following Tulfo&#x27;s manifestation, Escudero directed Ligutan to choose only one language — either Filipino or English — in his questions, adding that the prosecutor does not have to translate his questions each time &quot;unless the witness requests you to do so.&quot;</p><p>He added: &quot;Preferably use Filipino, Atty. Ligutan, you are well-versed with it as well, para mas maunawaan ni Ms. Gina.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT&#x27;</strong></div><p>The House prosecution said they will give Acosta the benefit of the doubt, noting that she may have been nervous.</p><p>&quot;So siguro medyo kinabahan lang, we will give her that benefit of the doubt,&quot; House trial adviser Ace Barbers said during the lunch briefing on Monday, August 17. </p><p>&quot;We were wondering about the difficulty earlier, but of course I don&#x27;t want to say there was malice involved,&quot; House prosecutor Rep. Bel Zamora added.</p><p>Asked if it was part of the prosecution&#x27;s strategy to have Ligutan do the examination as a fellow Bisaya, they said it is just a coincidence, but one that they welcome as it can help the public understand.</p><p>&quot;Actually baka nagkataon lang na siya yung lawyer but siya yung prosecutor who will conduct a direct examination of Gina Acosta so well it is very good for the public para makita at maintindihan lalo ng ating publiko,&quot; Zamora explained.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHO IS ACOSTA?</strong></div><p>Acosta was OVP&#x27;s special disbursing officer from 2022 to 2023 and was the payee in multimillion-peso checks encashed during the said years.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/29/ovp-s-p500m-bank-withdrawal-unusual-ex-landbank-exec-says-1225">OVP&#x27;s cash withdrawals &#x27;unusual&#x27; — ex-bank managers</a></div><p>She also previously served as a special disbursing officer for confidential funds during Duterte&#x27;s mayoral term in Davao City from 2019 to 2022.</p><p>Escudero allowed the discussion on Duterte&#x27;s confidential funds while Davao City mayor so long as they would not be used to allege additional accusations and would only be used to establish pattern.</p><div><strong>-- with a report from Allison Co, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH:</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Zli0fsaI8Rw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Monday questioned the language barrier claim of hostile witness Gina Acosta in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.</p>

Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Monday questioned the language barrier claim of hostile witness Gina Acosta in the Senate impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Erwin Tulfo questions hostile witness Gina Acosta's 'language barrier' at Senate trial

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Erwin Tulfo questions hostile witness Gina Acosta's 'language barrier' at Senate trial

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 17, 2026 01:59 PM PHT

|

Updated August 17, 2026 02:22 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

Impeachment Trial

Senate Trial

Sara Duterte Trial

Senate

Impeachment

Gina Acosta

Francis Escudero

Amando Ligutan

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