Who is Gina Acosta, prosecution's first hostile witness?

The House prosecution panel has fielded a hostile witness for the first time on Monday, Gina Acosta, the former Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) Sara Duterte.

But aside from having the mandate to disburse the OVP’s confidential fund allocation from 2022 to 2023 and as provided under Joint Circular 2015-01, Acosta’s links with the Vice President go a long way.

During the offer of Acosta’s testimony as evidence by private prosecutor Amando Ligutan, it was learned that Acosta is still employed in the OVP with the rank of Vice Presidential Staff 6.

Likewise, Acosta used to be the SDO of Davao City government when Duterte was still serving as Davao City mayor from 2019 to 2022.

In addition, Acosta also served as a staff member of the Davao City Administrator's Office and Davao City Budget Office from 2016 to 2022, the same years when Duterte was Davao City mayor.

During the questioning of Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero, Acosta said that her tenure as an OVP official is coterminous with the Vice President, whose term ends on June 30, 2028.

She later said during Day 16 of the impeachment trial that she released P500 million in confidential funds in 2022 and 2023 to Colonel Raymund Lachica on the orders of Duterte.

“Yes, Your Honor. Siya (Lachica) lang ‘yung may alam on how to implement 'yung confidential activities,” Acosta said.

“Hindi po [trabaho iyon ng security officer], Your Honor. Trabaho po 'yan ng…disbursing officer, Your Honor. Pero, pag na-release ko na po ang pera sa kanya, Your Honor, pinareceive ko sa kanya, Your Honor, magbigay po siya sa akin ng utilization report,” Acosta said.

(It is not the job of the security officer. It is the job of the disbursing officer. But when I release the money to him, he is the receiving party on the record, and he gives me a utilization report.)

During a House inquiry in November 2024, Acosta said it was Vice President Duterte who gave her the go-signal to turn over P125 million in confidential funds of the OVP in 2022 to Lachica, then the commanding officer of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.

“May approval po kay Ma'am Inday Sara (There's an approval from Ma'am Inday Sara),” Acosta replied when asked by House justice panel chairperson and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro what prompted her to give the huge amount to Lachica.

“I trust Sir Lachica po kasi tina-trust po siya ng aking head of [OVP] office na si Ma'am Inday Sara [Duterte],” Acosta added, referring to the Vice President.

(I trust Sir Lachica because my boss, Ma'am Inday Sara, trusts him).—LDF, GMA News