PRESIDENTIAL Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro accused Senator-Judge Imee Marcos of attempting to shield Vice President Sara Duterte during the Senate impeachment trial.
Castro said this following the 17th day of the impeachment trial, where Marcos asked former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta whether the vice president personally handled or took any of the confidential funds.
In a Palace briefing, Castro said that while the senator has the right to ask questions, she accused her of steering the whole conversation.
“She wants the vice president to get through the accusation regarding the spending of confidential funds,” Castro noted in Filipino.
She said that while the senator’s questioning demonstrated that Vice President Duterte may not have physically held the cash or personally prepared the liquidating documents, it did not absolve her of responsibility or command authority.
“Let us remember that the witness admitted that the one who gave the confidential funds, the entire P125 million, was ordered by the vice president to her security officer, Colonel Lachica, when it comes to OVP,” said Castro.
The Palace press officer emphasized that direct physical contact with government money is not a prerequisite for establishing command responsibility over public funds.
Castro pointed out that testimony from the former disbursing officer revealed a recurring pattern regarding how confidential funds were managed and liquidated under Duterte’s leadership.
“We can see here that the control and command came from the vice president, and it was admitted by the ex-SDO of the OVP, Gina Acosta,” she said.
Addressing the witness’ recurring responses that operational details were handled exclusively on the ground by Col. Raymund Lachica, Castro noted that the public is observing how accountability is being traced.
“The truth is still coming out because she still pointed to VP Sara and Colonel Lachica,” she said.
Castro raised broader questions regarding fund management governance and financial transparency within public offices.
“Let us remember that this is a public fund, and this confidential fund is part of public funds,” the Palace official said.
She added that missing documentation and failure to follow liquidation rules establish grounds for scrutiny by oversight authorities.
“If it is not accounted for properly and the documents are missing, it means that there is prima facie evidence,” Castro said.
Asked if the prosecution has done enough to merit conviction regarding the use of the confidential funds, Castro said, “In a way, yes.”
“When it comes to pointing the vice president and Colonel Lachica, they are the ones who controlled the funds for the confidential funds,” she said
