Marilyn Cahatol

The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte cross-examines the first witness presented by the House prosecution panel during the third day of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, July 8. 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/178755795441820260709-senate-impeachment-day3-WA-24.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte cross-examines the first witness presented by the House prosecution panel during the third day of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, July 8. Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte cross-examines the first witness presented by the House prosecution panel during the third day of the impeachment trial on Wednesday, July 8. <em>Wendell D. Alinea, Senate Social Media Unit </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Senator-Judge Lito Lapid on Monday questioned witness Gina Acosta, who previously served as the special disbursing officer of the Office of the Vice President, about the two supposed recipients of the office’s confidential funds sharing the same last name as him. </p><p>During last week’s trial, the prosecution presented acknowledgment receipts (AR) of confidential funds from the OVP, which included two payout recipients <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/11/another-piatos-politicians-surnames-emerge-in-ovp-confidential-fund-receipts-1227">with the surname “Lapid.”</a></p><p>Lapid, whom colleagues call the chair of the Committee of Silence because he rarely takes the podium, said he would thank Acosta and former OVP security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica if the supposed recipients were actually his relatives.</p><p>“Eh kung alias iyon, papaano yung pangalan at apelyido namin na inalyas niyo lang pala, hindi totoong tao,” Lapid said during senator-judges’ time for interpellation. </p><p>(But if that&#x27;s an alias, what about the people whose names you used for aliases?)</p><p>Acosta, whom the impeachment court <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/17/senate-impeachment-trial-gina-acosta-declared-as-hostile-witness-1139">declared as a hostile witness</a>, has repeatedly acknowledged that the OVP’s records of confidential fund disbursement <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/24/acosta-says-she-relied-on-lachica-documents-to-verify-ovp-confidential-fund-use-1309">solely relied on documents provided by then-security officer Lachica. </a></p><p>“Nag-rely po ako sa kanya kasi meron po siyang office order na siya ang security officer at siya ang mag-implement ng various confidential operational activities,” Acosta said in response to Lapid. </p><p>(I relied on him because there is an office order naming him security officer and he has been assigned to implement various confidential operational activities.)</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RISA HONTIVEROS’ BIRTHDAY AS PAYOUT DATE </strong></div><p>Before Lapid’s questioning, Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros raised that the acknowledgement receipt for a certain “Clarisse Hontiveros” has a payout date of Feb. 24, 2023 — her birthday. </p><p>“Napakalaking coincidence po. May reaction or comment po ba kayo sa ganoong pambihirang detalye ng petsa?” Hontiveros said. </p><p>(What a huge coincidence. Can you say anything about this?)</p><p>Acosta again said details of confidential funds’ disbursement were verified with Lachica, who, she said, had been telling her, that he cannot give &quot;sensitive information [that is] confidential in nature.”</p><p>Senator-Judge Bam Aquino also asked Acosta if she had noticed the unusual names in the ARs, but the former SDO said she could not remember them since she had processed more than 800.</p><p>“Doon po ako nag-concentrate, nagta-tally sa amount at anong klaseng expenses na dapat po within the guidelines sa [Joint Circular 2015-01],” Acosta said.  </p><p>(I concentrated on tallying the amount and the expenses that should be within the guidelines of the JC.)</p><p>Aquino asked the OVP staff member if she believes the supposed payout recipients are real persons or aliases. </p><p>Acosta responded: “Sa tingin ko po, the moment na sinabi ni Col. Lachica na confidential in nature po, sa tingin ko mga alias po iyon, Your Honor.”</p><p>(The moment that Col. Lachica said they were &#x27;confidential in nature&#x27;, I assumed they are aliases.)</p><p>Aquino also asked whether or not Acosta had conducted an internal investigation since the allegations of confidential funds misuse against the OVP emerged last year.</p><p>She said she has not.</p><p>She added that the JC does not prohibit the use of aliases and provides no template for acknowledgment receipts. </p><p>Aside from politicians&#x27; names, the ARs also bear names of recipients similar to food brands and Filipino words and phrases.</p><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 style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uG0FvVm3xkU?si=aFSehU6HZMehavGM" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>Senator-Judge Lito Lapid on Monday questioned witness Gina Acosta, who previously served as the special disbursing officer (SDO) of the Office of the Vice President, about the two alleged recipients of the office’s confidential funds sharing the same last name as him.</p>

Senator-Judge Lito Lapid on Monday questioned witness Gina Acosta, who previously served as the special disbursing officer (SDO) of the Office of the Vice President, about the two alleged recipients of the office’s confidential funds sharing the same last name as him.

Lito Lapid questions existence of OVP fund recipients with his surname

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Lito Lapid questions existence of OVP fund recipients with his surname

Marilyn Cahatol,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 24, 2026 04:26 PM PHT

Read More:

Sara Duterte

impeachment trial

confidential funds

Gina Acosta

Lito Lapid

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