Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen

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/1787547587814viber_image_2026-08-24_12-08-20.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Office of the Vice President&#x27;s (OVP) former Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta answers questions from prosecution private counsel Atty. Amando Ligutan during direct examination on the 17th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte at the Senate in Pasay City on Monday, August 24, 2026. Acosta is expected to testify on matters related to her duties and responsibilities as a special disbursing officer of the OVP.<em> Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span>MANILA — Office of the Vice President&#x27;s (OVP) former special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta admitted Monday that she relied on documents submitted by then-security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, as well as his assurances, when verifying the use of confidential funds, despite not personally witnessing the transactions.</div><p>Private prosecutor Amando Ligutan presented acknowledgment receipts purportedly showing payments to several recipients of OVP confidential funds, including:</p><ul style="list-style-type:disc"><li>Antonio Pagong: P100,000</li><li>Timon Andrew Pusa: P100,000</li><li>Don Piang: P250,000</li><li>May Pamana: P150,000</li><li>Shane Ngitngit: P150,000</li><li>Xuniso P. Belat: P100,000</li></ul><div><br/></div><p>Ligutan used the documents to question how Acosta verified that the funds were actually received by the individuals named in the acknowledgment receipts.</p><p>Acosta acknowledged that she did not personally see Lachica hand over money to the recipients.</p><p>“Nag-verify po ako kay security officer Col. Lachica. ‘Yun po ang pamamaraan ko, ‘yung way ko, para malaman ko ‘yung pinaggastahan ni Col. Lachica kasi siya ang may alam, siya ang nag-implement sa mga project sa confidential operation or activities,” Acosta said. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>‘SENSITIVE, CONFIDENTIAL OPERATIONS’</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Ligutan also asked Acosta whether she had an official receipt showing how P75 million in confidential funds for the fourth quarter of 2022 was spent on supplies, medical assistance and food aid.</p><p>“Acknowledgment receipt… wala po, your honor,” Acosta said.</p><p>Asked why she did not seek additional receipts, Acosta said she had already verified the acknowledgment receipts with Lachica.</p><p>According to Acosta, while verifying the acknowledgment receipts given to her by Lachica, she noticed that some of the receipts had no date, no name, and only contained a signature. She therefore asked Lachica about the incomplete information on the documents.</p><p>Lachica supposedly explained that whatever documents and acknowledgment receipts he had provided to Acosta were the only ones he could give her, as the transactions or operations involved highly sensitive and confidential information.</p><p>“Kung ano ang binigay ko sa’yo na dokumento, ’yon na ’yon kasi ang mga transaction o ang operation doon is very sensitive information,” Acosta recalled Lachica telling her.</p><p>Ligutan pressed Acosta on whether she sought additional receipts even after the Commission on Audit’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (COA-ICFAO) issued an Audit Observation Memorandum seeking supporting receipts.</p><p>Acosta said she did not personally ask Lachica for additional receipts.</p><p>“Sumagot lang ang opisina,” she said.</p><p>Ligutan asked whether Acosta would know if Lachica had actually given confidential funds to the individuals named in the acknowledgment receipts, including those presented to the impeachment court.</p><p>Acosta acknowledged that she would not know because she was not personally present during the transactions. She also agreed that she would not know if the funds had instead been given to other people or used for purposes other than those stated in the documents.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/22/acosta-testimony-smoking-gun-in-impeachment-trial-says-ridon-1731">Acosta testimony &#x27;smoking gun&#x27; in impeachment trial, says Ridon</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>CERTIFICATIONS SIGNED BY ACOSTA</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Ligutan also confronted Acosta with certifications she signed for the OVP’s confidential fund disbursements.</p><p>Under Joint Circular 2015-01, the disbursement of confidential funds must be supported by a certification from the accountable officer.</p><p>Acosta confirmed that she signed the certifications covering the OVP’s confidential fund disbursements for the fourth quarter of 2022.</p><p>Ligutan asked what personal basis she had when she certified that the confidential funds were properly used.</p><p>Acosta admitted that her basis was not her own personal observation but the documents submitted to her by Lachica.</p><p>When asked whether, based on her certification, she was attesting that the OVP had not misappropriated the confidential funds, Acosta answered in the affirmative.</p><p>She added that her knowledge of where, how and to whom the funds were disbursed came from the documents provided by Lachica.</p><p>“Galing po lahat kay Sir Lachica, your honor,” she said.</p><p>According to her previous testimony, Duterte instructed her to release the funds to Lachica. Acosta said the P125 million was withdrawn and turned over in cash, with the money placed in four bags.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/24/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-day-17-0948">LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Impeachment Trial (Day 17)</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/24/ovp-s-acosta-grilled-on-davao-city-confidential-funds-1100">OVP&#x27;s Acosta grilled on Davao City confidential funds</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH</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/uG0FvVm3xkU?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The OVP's former special disbursing officer Gina Acosta admitted that she relied on documents submitted by then-security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, as well as his assurances, when verifying the use of confidential funds, despite not personally witnessing the transactions.</p>

The OVP's former special disbursing officer Gina Acosta admitted that she relied on documents submitted by then-security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, as well as his assurances, when verifying the use of confidential funds, despite not personally witnessing the transactions.

Acosta says she relied on Lachica, documents to verify OVP confidential fund use

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Acosta says she relied on Lachica, documents to verify OVP confidential fund use

Chalssea Kate Echegoyen,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 24, 2026 01:09 PM PHT

Read More:

OVP

Impeachment trial

Sara Duterte

Confidential funds

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