MANILA, Philippines — Senator-judge Bam Aquino on Monday questioned former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta over the lack of internal investigation into the suspicious recipient names on the confidential fund receipts.
This, after more unusual names, including Antonio Pagong and Timon Andrew Pusa, surfaced in the acknowledgment receipts for the OVP's confidential fund transactions during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
"These names have been talked about for more than a year. The OVP has also been scrutinized for more than a year... from that time until now, did you not conduct an internal investigation to check if those names were real, where the true list is, and they real names behind the aliases?" Aquino said.
In response, Acosta said that no internal investigation or verification was conducted to uncover the real identities behind the aliases.
She said she relied entirely on former OVP security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica’s assurance that the details were confidential.
Aquino said the Senate would ask Lachica for the master list of the true names behind the receipts once he would appear before the impeachment court.
Meanwhile, Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros flagged a suspicious acknowledgment receipt by the OVP bearing her surname under the name "Clarisse Hontiveros," dated on her actual birthday, February 24.
"What is shocking is the date when Clarisse Hontiveros was allegedly paid, February 24, 2023. That is my birthday. It is a huge coincidence," she said during her interjection.
Acosta replied that she previously inquired about the receipts with Lachica, who told her the details were "confidential in nature."
Acosta also said she believes that Duterte "knew what she doing" in relation to the confidential funds.
She earlier testified that in 2022, she handed over millions of pesos in confidential funds to Lachica, following Duterte's orders.
