Sherwin Tinampay

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#VPOnTrip: Day 19

Victoria Tulad

ABS-CBN News

<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/foqMBjPyZe8?autoplay=1&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></div>Today is the 19th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. The Senate impeachment court will continue to hear article 1 on the alleged misuse, questionable liquidation, and systematic misappropriation of confidential funds of Duterte.Office of the Vice President (OVP) assistant chief-of-staff Lemuel Ortonio will return to the witness stand as the defense team will do its cross-examination.<div> </div>3:06 p.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court is adjourned. Session will resume on Tuesday, September 1, 2026, 10 a.m.  2:59 p.m. - Luistro requests for the issuance of subpoena ad testificandum to Atty. Michael Poa, counsel for the respondent, and to Marizza Grande of the Philippine Statistics Authority for September 2. 2:58 p.m. - Lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro says they are dropping the presentation of Maj. Gen. Adonis Bajao, and maintains the presentation of Boransing and Col. Magtanggol Panopio. 2:55 p.m. - The subpoena for Col. Manaros Boransing II is directed to be issued, if it has not yet been sent, for September 1. 2:49 p.m. - Escudero asks Ortonio if Lachica disbursed the confidential fund after receiving it from Acosta. Ortonio says Lachica spent the money but uses the word &quot;implement&quot; and not &quot;disburse.&quot; He says Acosta disbursed and Lachica implemented the confidential activities. Escudero points out that if Lachica is an end user, then he should not have taken back the acknowledgment receipts he initially gave to Acosta. Ortonio says he does not know about this matter. 2:40 p.m. - Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo manifests that he is praying Lachica will be presented as witness so that &quot;gaping holes&quot; will be clarified. According to Escudero, they cannot compel either party to present a witness, but the court can call one after the presentation of the parties&#x27; evidence in chief. 2:17 p.m. - Senator-judge Francis Pangilinan shows the Accomplishment Report for the third quarter of 2023 and says the P40 million for medicines present in previous reports is gone. Ortonio confirms this. Pangilinan asks Ortonio if all of their informants got well. Ortonio says he does not know. Pangilinan notes that the OVP received an AOM from COA on October 4, while the Accomplishment Report was dated October 9. Pangilinan: &quot;So mukhang hindi gumaling lahat &#x27;yung binibigyan ng gamot. Ang nangyari mukhang dahil nakita ninyo &#x27;yung AOM at ipinagbabawal eh binago ninyo.&quot; Ortonio: &quot;I cannot answer kung binago yung Accomplishment Report because it&#x27;s something that I personally did not prepare.&quot; 2:10 p.m. - According to Ortonio, the matter of confidential fund is still pending final decision. 2:09 p.m. - Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo asks Ortonio if their informants are sickly because huge amounts of money were given to them. Ortonio says he has no personal knowledge and only trusted what Lachica told him. Tulfo points out that it is Ortonio&#x27;s responsibility to know. Ortoonio says he is not sure about this. Tulfo: &quot;It’s unbelievable. It defies logic talaga really, Sir. You are not really making sense at all.&quot; 2 p.m. - Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo asks Ortonio if he did not doubt the use of confidential funds of Lachica. According to Ortonio, one would initially question but Lachica was able to provide answers and the OVP was able to respond to COA. 1:54 p.m. - Senator-judge Robin Padilla asks the witness and Divinagracia about the use of aliases. Divinagracia says whether aliases were allowed or not is not an issue for them. Padilla replies that the use of aliases cannot be a non-issue because the prosecution is implying that there are laughable names. Padilla:  &quot;Mas nakakatawa po itong mga pangalan nu&#x27;ng mga nangyari noong araw. Kilala niyo po kung sino si Marcial Bonifacio? Sino po? Si Benigno Aquino Jr, si Ninoy, siya mismo may alias.&quot; Senator-judge Bam Aquino, the nephew of Ninoy, was next to ask the witness but gave a comment first. Aquino: &quot;Tama po si Ninoy Aquino ang kaniyang alias ay Marcial Bonifacio para makauwi po siya sa Pilipinas nu&#x27;ng nasa Boston siya, pero wala naman ho siyang confidential funds, wala ho siya sa mga AR na confidential funds.&quot; 1:41 p.m. - Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson shows Ortonio the OVP Physical Financial Plans (PFP) for 2022 and 2023. He notes that the words under the column &quot;Physical Target&quot; were the same. Lacson: &quot;Hindi ba ito insulto sa common sense? Hindi man lang niyo binago nang konti, at least si Colonel Lachica siguro ito. Unang una regular program, sana man lang pagdating sa PFP, binago niyo yung nomenclature. Tapos under the Physical Target yung column, sana man lang binago niyo yung activities. Copy paste eh... I think it’s stupid. Sana man lang binago-bago niyo nang konti.&quot;<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787723780574day 19 image2.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Photo courtesy: Senate1:33 p.m. - Hontiveros asks Ortonio if he did not think that Acosta turning over the confidential fund to Lachica was not a violation. </div>Ortonio says he was not aware of the arrangement. He says he believes the funds were handled following a regular process based on the Joint Circular. 1:27 p.m. - Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros asks Ortonio if Duterte, as head of agency, has the most responsibility in the request, use and justification of confidential fund. Ortonio says yes. 1:22 p.m. - Senate President Win Gatchalian asks Ortonio how many times he met Lachica. Ortonio says he met Lachica once or twice to get information regarding the use of confidential fund in order to draft the reply to the AOM. Ortonio recalls Lachica explaining the use of confidential fund for medical and food supplies. Lachica supposedly told Ortonio that funds were released to informants and agents based on representation that funds will be used for the purchase of medical and food supplies. Asked why Ortonio trusted Lachica, Ortonio says it was because he was the security officer and was designated by Duterte.1:15 p.m. - Ferrer ends her recross-examination. The court proceeds to interjections of senator-judges. 1:14 p.m. - Ortonio, in the recross-examination, says there was no indication or comment in the COA&#x27;s AOMs and Notice of Suspension that confidential funds were used for regular programs of the OVP. 1:04 p.m. - Trial resumes. Ortonio is called back to the witness stand. 12:12 p.m. - Ortonio is excused from the witness stand. Trial goes on break and will resume at 1 p.m. 12:09 p.m. - Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo asks Ortonio if he inquired about the payment of reward of medicines. Ortonio says he consulted Lachica, but did not ask about the specifics. He adds that he only saw the acknowledgment receipts during the hearing of the House of Representatives. Tulfo tells Ortonio: &quot;Parang nagmamaang-maangan ka. Again, is it blind loyalty?&quot; 12:03 p.m. - Ortonio says based on his understanding, Vice President Sara Duterte, as head of agency, knows the implementation of the confidential fund. Divinagracia ends her redirect examination. Ferrer says she will conduct her recross-examination after lunch. 11:51 a.m. - Ortonio says he has no personal knowledge of how the confidential fund was spent and does not know if it was spent for regular programs of the OVP. 11:42 a.m. - Divinagracia shows section 3.24 of the Joint Circular which says the PFP &quot;refers to the plan approved by the HoA, in the case of NGAs and LGus and by the Board of Directors in the case of GOCCs, supporting the request for funds for CE and IE.&quot; CE and IE refer to confidential and intelligence expenses. Ortonio admits he cannot remember this section. 11:38 a.m. - Divinagracia proceeds with her redirect examination. 11:31 a.m. - Senator-judge Vicente Sotto III asks Ortonio about the employment status in the OVP of Colonel Raymund Lachica, the former chief of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) and former OVP Security Officer. Lachica is not an employee of the OVP, according to Ortonio, but there was an order coming from the Armed Forces designating him as commander of the group. 11:28 a.m. - Ferrer ends her cross-examination. Atty. Mae Divinagracia, counsel for the panel of prosecutors, asks for 10 minutes to prepare for her redirect examination. Senator-judges, in the meantime, are given a chance to ask Ortonio. 11:27 a.m. - Ortonio confirms that his participation regarding confidential fund is limited to the signing of vouchers, signing of checks, writing the responses to AOMs and Notice of Disallowance, and acting as liaison in the submission of liquidation documents to the Commission on Audit-ICFAO. He says he was not involved in the drafting of the quarterly liquidation report, disbursement of confidential fund, and recording of confidential expenses which were responsibilities of then OVP Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta. 11:17 a.m. - According to Ortonio, the Audit Observation Memoranda (AOM) and Notice of Suspension did not have any finding about the misuse of confidential fund. He also says he knows that the AOMs and Notice of Suspension were not final findings of the COA-ICFAO. 11:13 a.m. - Ortonio says the confidential fund was not used to fund the OVP&#x27;s Good Governance Program for 2022 and Socio-Economic Program Delivery for 2023, but was used for the safe implementation of these. 11:07 a.m. - Ortonio confirms that the DBM even recommended the approval of the request for confidential fund to the Office of the President which approved it. 11:05 a.m. - Ferrer proceeds with her cross-examination. Ortonio confirms to her that the OVP did not attach a Physical Financial Plan (PFP) to its August 2022 letter to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) requesting for confidential fund because it was not required by the Joint Circular 2015-01. 11:03 a.m. - Ferrer, before her cross-examination, says she wants to put on record that what she was referring to last August 12 was about leading questions. Atty. Lorna Kapunan, counsel for the panel of prosecutors, argues that the statement of Ferrer is misleading. Kapunan says it was &quot;very clear&quot; that her immediate phrase was about misleading questions. 10:54 a.m. - Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio is called to the witness stand for the defense&#x27;s cross-examination. 10:53 a.m. - Escudero states that the violation of the court&#x27;s order may carry consequences separate from contempt. He says the clerk of court may be directed to transmit a certified copy of the pertinent order, transcript, or record to the Supreme Court or the Office of the Bar Confidant for whatever action it may seem proper. He clarifies that referral does not mean there was a finding of penalty or professional discipline. 10:49 a.m. - According to Escudero, Rule 18 applies to the Presiding Officer, senator-judges, prosecutors, person impeached, respective counsels and witnesses. 10:47 a.m. - Escudero cites statements of unnamed speakers which, he says, should not be made by any counsel for any of the parties involved in the trial. One statement he gave: &quot;To us it’s a scam, a scam that was masterminded by the Vice President.&quot; He also says credit must be given to some counsels for an unnamed party who are circumspect with their statements. 10:43 a.m. - Escudero enumerates the punishment for subsequent violations of Rule 18. <div>First offense- public reprimand and admonition in open court placed on record as final warning </div><div>Second offense -  statutory fine of P30,000 per violation </div>Each subsequent violation of Rule 18 will be punished and considered as third offense, fourth offense, and so on. 10:37 a.m. - Escudero also reminds the parties to designate spokespersons who are not members of the panel of the prosecutors or the defense panel. 10:35 a.m. - Escudero enjoins everyone covered by Rule 18 to not make public statements, discuss merits of the trial and engage in trial by publicity as these threaten the court&#x27;s integrity, degrade the tribunal&#x27;s dignity, and weaponize the media to substitute public outrage for actual evidence. 10:32 a.m. - Regarding Rule 18 which says parties should not make disclosures to the public pertaining to merits of the case, Escudero says the court will extend grace. <div>&quot;With respect to prior statements or conduct covered by Rule 18, the court shall extend grace, exercise liberality and wipe the slate clean. Tabula rasa so to speak. From this point forward, however, Rule 18 shall be strictly enforced.&quot; </div>10:26 a.m. - Escudero clarifies that this impartiality shall not prevent senator-judges from examining evidence. He says questions are not partial merely because the answer may aid one side or weaken another. He also mentions that the inquiry must be fair and directed toward the clarification of truth, and that there should be no harassment or announcement of conclusion already reached. 10:23 a.m. - Escudero gives his ruling and starts with reminding senator-judges of the need for impartiality. He says senator-judges must keep in mind to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and laws of the Philippines, and to observe political neutrality. 10:19 a.m. - Senator-judge and Presiding Officer Francis Escudero says Atty. Kristine Ferrer, counsel for the respondent, may have been referring to leading questions and not misleading questions when she said these are allowed. Ferrer is seen nodding. 10:18 a.m. - Ligutan adds that what is troubling is for the defense to allegedly not admit their mistake and instead call out a lawyer and teacher who just stated what is correct. 10:16 a.m. - According to Ligutan, he did not discuss the merits of the case, but only mentioned the rules of procedures &quot;without splicing anything.&quot;  10:13 a.m. - Ligutan says the post is not about the defense, but about the law being adhered to. 10:12 a.m. - Ligutan explains his viral Facebook post about misleading questions. Ligutan: “It is a truism, as irrefutable as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west. It is a principle all lawyers and law students should know by heart.” <div>&quot;Why post it on Facebook? Your honors, why not? Yes I am a lawyer, but more than just a lawyer, first and foremost, I am a teacher... All law students out there, I want them to know that a teacher had heard that wrong statement in open court and he is correcting that mistake on Facebook as I have been doing the past years.&quot;</div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1787710936450day 19 image1.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Photo courtesy: Senate10:05 a.m. - Atty. Amando Ligutan, counsel for the panel of prosecutors, is recognized for his reply to the August 12 manifestation of lead defense counsel Atty. Sheila Sison. </div>10:03 a.m. - Quorum is declared with 17 senator-judges present. 10 a.m. - The Senate impeachment trial court convenes. Senator-judge Mark Villar leads the prayer.<div> </div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/8/25/live-updates-vice-president-sara-duterte-s-impeachment-trial-day-18-0940">LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte&#x27;s Impeachment Trial (Day 18))</a></div>

Follow this article for the live updates on the 19th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Follow this article for the live updates on the 19th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial (Day 19)

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LIVE UPDATES: Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial (Day 19)

Victoria Tulad,

Sherwin Tinampay,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 26, 2026 09:48 AM PHT

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Updated August 26, 2026 03:30 PM PHT

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Vice President

Sara Duterte

Vice President Sara Duterte

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