MANILA, Philippines — Senate Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis Escudero declared former Office of the Vice President (OVP) Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta a "hostile witness" during the 16th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Escudero said this would only allow private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan the "right to ask leading questions."
Ligutan introduced Acosta as the first hostile witness of the impeachment trial, explaining that she is "not a witness favorable to the prosecution."
Acosta, who is now serving as Vice Presidential Staff Officer VI at the OVP, was directly involved in the disbursement of the office’s confidential funds.
She had previously testified that Duterte instructed her to turn over P125 million confidential fund cash advance in 2022 to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, a transaction later flagged by the Commission on Audit as a violation of rules governing confidential funds.
