MANILA, Philippines — Senator-judge Lito Lapid on Monday broke his silence after his surname appeared in acknowledgment receipts identifying recipients of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
During his interjection at the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Lapid questioned former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta about two names bearing the surname "Lapid" that appeared among the recipients of the confidential funds.
Lapid raised the possibility that the names could have been aliases or referred to individuals who did not actually exist.
"My father said, as long as it’s Lapid, they’re my relative. I would be grateful to the defense and to (Col. Raymund Dante) Lachica if my relative had been given the money," Lapid said in Filipino.
"If not, if that was an alias, then what about our name and surname that you merely used as an alias, when it turns out there was no real person?" he added.
Acosta said she relied on the acknowledgment receipts submitted by Lachica, whom she identified as the security officer designated by Duterte to handle the implementation of confidential activities.
Lapid also questioned why Acosta relied on Lachica’s documents and whether she had verified his background or whether his office had its own intelligence funds.
"I don’t know, Your Honor," Acosta replied.
Lapid also asked Acosta where the P45 million of the second withdrawal of P125 million was.
Acosta said she put it in the OVP vault, but clarified that she later on gave this to Lachica after he submitted the fund utilization report and object of expenditure.
