Two bank guards dragged confi funds in duffel bags to OVP vehicle, says witness

Former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta said Monday that two security guards of state-run Landbank dragged the four duffel bags containing P125 million in confidential funds to the OVP vehicle in December 2022.

Acosta made the testimony during Day 16 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“I can’t remember if they used a trolley, Your Honor. I remember them dragging the bags,” Acosta said during the questioning of Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero on how the P125 million in confidential fund case was taken out of the bank.

Acosta also told Escudero and the impeachment court that the two security guards had two black duffel bags each and left the bank together, with Acosta following them.

“Sabay po sila [lumabas ng bangko]. Naroon po ako, sumunod sunod, Your Honor,” Acosta said.

(They went out together. I was behind them.)

In addition, Acosta told the court that the OVP vehicle where the four duffel bags were brought had two drivers on board, and that both of these drivers are members of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group.

From the Landbank in Shaw Boulevard, Acosta said that they brought the four duffel bags to the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City via a service elevator.

“We placed it in a trolley. I brought it to my extension office, Your Honor,” Acosta said.

Acosta also confirmed her testimony during the House panel 2024 inquiry that she informed Colonel Lachica that she had already withdrawn the confidential fund in cash, and that she released the confidential fund to Lachica on the instructions of the Vice President.

“May instruction po sa taas, Your Honor, ng aking head of agency, (na kung ma-encash ko po ang cheque, i-release ko po kay Sir Lachica, because he is the designated security officer of the Vice President, Your Honor,” Acosta added.

This action is contrary to Joint Circular 2015-01, which delegates the disbursement of confidential fund to either the SDO or the head of the agency.

Acosta is a witness for Article 1 of the impeachment case, which accuses the Vice President of committing impeachable offenses due to systematic misappropriation and irregular liquidation of confidential funds amounting to P500 million released to the OVP and P112.5 million released to the DepEd during her tenure as Education chief. —LDF, GMA News