(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — Only Vice President Sara Duterte and her former security officer, a non employee of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), knew how the P500 million confidential funds of the OVP were spent, a witness for the prosecution said on Wednesday, the 19th day of Duterte’s impeachment trial of the vice president.
OVP Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, tagged as a “hostile witness,” testified before the Senate impeachment court that Col. Raymund Dante Lachica was designated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as group commander of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG).
Ortonio said , however, that Lachica knew how the P500 million confidential funds of the OVP were spent as head of the OVP security operations.
Ortonio said that it was his understanding that Duterte, as head of the agency, would have known how activities financed through the confidential funds were carried out.
Presiding Officer Chiz Escudero clarified the point following an exchange between private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia and defense lawyer Kristine Ferrer.
"You as assistant chief of staff, and the chief of staff herself doesn’t know; and Colonel Lachica… who is not part of the OVP, knows?" Escudero asked.
"Yes, Your Honor," Ortonio said.
Ortonio also said Duterte has the most responsibility in the request, use and justification of confidential funds.
This, after Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros asked Ortonio about Duterte’s role and responsibility over the confidential funds.
Ortonio agreed that Duterte, being the head of the OVP, needed to know what was happening, particularly the implementation of the office’s activities.
When asked if he, Acosta and Lachica were part of Duterte’s "circle of trust," Ortonio said, "I can only answer for myself. In terms of working relationships, I would say that I have the trust and confidence of the vice president in terms of doing duties that are assigned to me."
As for Acosta and Lachica, Ortonio said he could not categorically say whether they were part of Duterte’s circle of trust, but noted that both were entrusted with duties and functions.
Ortonio said he was available when Acosta asked him to accompany her in encashing the funds, but did not join her when the money was later turned over to Lachica.
Lachica has been a recurring figure in the testimony particularly of former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta on Aug. 17 and Aug. 24, where she admitted turning over P125 million in confidential funds to the military officer in December 2022.
Acosta said the cash, which was contained in four travel bags, was handed over to Lachica on Duterte’s orders.
No misuse
Earlier on Wednesday, Ortonio testified that the Commission on Audit (COA) observation memorandums on the OVP’s confidential funds did not indicate fund misuse.
“Based on my understanding, ma'am, no misuse,” Ortonio told defense counsel Ferrer when asked if the AOMs contained any finding that the confidential funds had been misused.
Ortonio also said he could not recall any finding of misuse in the Notice of Suspension covering the OVP’s fourth-quarter 2022 confidential funds, adding that it contained only requests for clarification.
He said the AOMs and Notice of Suspension were not final findings by COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Unit because the OVP was given an opportunity to submit comments.
The testimony came as Ferrer sought to establish the nature of COA’s findings on the confidential funds.
