Gina Acosta's testimony a 'smoking gun' in VP Sara's impeachment —Ridon

Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon, a member of the House prosecution team, described the testimony made recently by former Office of the Vice President (OVP) Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta on the release of confidential funds as a “smoking gun” in the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“Tingin ko ho ang kaniyang testimonya ang talaga pong isa sa mga smoking gun dito sa paglilitis kasi directly itinuturo po niya ang Pangalawang Pangulo na nag-utos sa kaniya na ibigay ang P125 million in confidential funds kay Colonel [Raymund] Lachica na hindi po organic OVP personnel,” Ridon said at a news forum in Quezon City.

(I think her testimony is really one of the smoking guns here at the trial because it directly points to the Vice President as the one who ordered her to give the P125 million in confidential funds to Colonel Lachica who is not an organic OVP personnel.)

“‘Yan po basically ang pinagdedebatihan doon sa COA [Commission oin Audit] notice of disallowance bakit nila ‘yun binigay sa isang non-organic OVP personnel,” the lawmaker said.

(That is basically what was being debated on in the COA notice of disallowance — why they gave it to a non-organic OVP personnel.)

Smoking gun refers to something that already serves as conclusive evidence or proof.

On Monday, Acosta, during the direct examination of private prosecutor Amando Ligutan, confirmed her November 2024 testimony before the House panel inquiry that it was the Vice President who asked her to disburse the P125-million confidential funds to Lachica.

With Acosta’s testimony, Ridon said the “burden of evidence” is now in the hands of Duterte’s defense team.

“On confidential funds misuse, after the Gina Acosta testimony noong Monday, nasa kanila na ang burden of evidence para wasakin ang mga testimonya na ito when it is their turn to actually present the evidence,” the lawmaker said.

(On confidential funds misuse, after the Gina Acosta testimony last Monday, the burden of evidence is on them to disprove this testimony when it is their turn to actually present the evidence.)

Acosta, during the hearing, replied in the affirmative when asked if she also released the OVP’s P375 million confidential fund allocation for 2023 to Lachica for the same reasons.

But when pressed by Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis "Chiz" Escudero if the Joint Circular 2015-01 states that it is the job of the security officer to disburse or spend confidential fund, Acosta conceded that it was not.

Ligutan then quizzed Acosta why she released the P500 million worth of OVP’s confidential fund to Lachica in 2022 and 2023 when the Joint Circular 2015-01 mandates that it is the SDO who should disburse it.

Acosta justified her decision by leaning on Lachica’s status as designated security officer of the OVP.

Ligutan then pressed Acosta if such deference to Lachica is because “she could not dare question the Vice President’s decision.”

Defense counsel Lindon Miguel Bacquel objected to the question for being argumentative, which Escudero sustained given that Acosta already gave two reasons why she released the confidential fund to Lachica.

The Senate impeachment court is tackling Article I of the Articles of Impeachment of Duterte which alleged her misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds—P500 million from the OVP, and P112.5 million from the Department of Education. —KG, GMA News