Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Allison Co

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/1786941447955viber_image_2026-08-17_12-24-03.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta takes the oath as a hostile witness for the prosecution during the 16th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — In the seventh week of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the prosecution began presenting their first ever “hostile witnesses,” starting with Office of the Vice President&#x27;s (OVP) former special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta.</p><p>Acosta may be familiar to some after she previously appeared at a House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability hearing last November and was brought out in a wheelchair and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/11/25/another-ovp-official-rushed-to-hospital-from-house-panel-probe-1901">later loaded into an ambulance</a> after experiencing shortness of breath during the proceedings.</p><p>Acosta is the prosecution’s <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/17/senate-impeachment-trial-gina-acosta-declared-as-hostile-witness-1139">first “hostile witness”</a> in the case involving the alleged misuse of confidential funds at the OVP.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT IS A HOSTILE WITNESS?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>A hostile witness refers to a person called to testify who displays open bias against the party that called them.</p><p>“Hindi po siya pabor sa prosekusyon,” private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan explained.</p><p>In direct examination of a hostile witness, the prosecution will be allowed to ask leading questions.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT IS ACOSTA&#x27;S ROLE IN THE OVP?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Long before she became an SDO, Acosta worked with Duterte since 2016, when the Vice President was still Davao City mayor.</p><p>Acosta first served at the Davao City Administrator’s Office and the Davao City Budget Office from 2016 to 2022.</p><p>She later served as the SDO for Duterte’s confidential funds as Davao City mayor from 2019 to 2022, before becoming the OVP’s SDO from 2022 to 2023. As SDO, Acosta was the only authorized officer to disburse confidential funds.</p><p>She is now a Vice Presidential Staff Officer VI at the OVP.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WHAT WILL HER TESTIMONY CONTAIN?</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>The prosecution said her testimony will be crucial to the impeachment trial because she held the SDO position when the OVP disbursed and spent P125 million in confidential funds within 11 days, allegedly without proper liquidation documents.</p><p>Acosta also previously testified before the House that Duterte herself ordered her to transfer P500 million in confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, then head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSG).</p><p>Earlier, COA witness Xylene Mae Del Campo said the transfer violated Joint Circular 2015-01, which governs the use of confidential funds. Under the rules, only the SDO—not a third party—is authorized to disburse such funds.</p><p>The prosecution began examining Acosta on the 16th day of the impeachment trial on Monday, August 17.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/17/impeach-trial-day-16-may-reach-milestone-with-disbursing-officers-testimony-0948">Impeach Trial Day 16 may reach milestone with disbursing officers testimony—Diokno</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong></strong><strong></strong><strong>WATCH:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vz3vS_H43MQ?si=Ma3jSi4I4gnW31Rw" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>In the seventh week of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the prosecution began presenting their first ever “hostile witnesses,” starting with former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta.</p>

In the seventh week of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the prosecution began presenting their first ever “hostile witnesses,” starting with former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta.

Who is prosecution’s first ‘hostile witness’ Gina Acosta?

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Who is prosecution’s first ‘hostile witness’ Gina Acosta?

Allison Co,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 17, 2026 12:42 PM PHT

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VP Impeachment

Hostile Witness

Gina Acosta

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