Antonio Pagong, Timon Pusa, more unusual names in OVP confidential fund receipts

More unusual names, including Antonio Pagong and Timon Andrew Pusa, on the acknowledgment receipts for confidential fund transactions of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) surfaced Monday.

During the Day 17 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, prosecution counsel Amando Ligutan questioned former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta about the documentation and verification of confidential fund disbursements implemented by security officer Col. Raymund Lachica.

One acknowledgment receipt listed Antonio Pagong as having received P100,000 for the “purchase of information.”

Another receipt listed Timon Andrew Pusa for P100,000 described as payment for the “rental of transport vehicle related to confidential activities.”

A third receipt named Xuniso P. Belat, also for P100,000, for the “purchase of information.”

The documents showed other names and transactions as well, as Ligutan went through the records of the confidential fund before the Senate impeachment court.

These were:

• Don Piang - P250,000
• May Pamana - P150,000
• Shane Ngitngit - 150,000

Acosta did not witness handover

Ligutan asked Acosta whether she personally saw Lachica hand over P100,000 to Pusa.

“Nakita mo ba siya o hindi (Did you see him or not)?” Ligutan asked.

“Hindi ko siya nakita, Your Honor, kasi wala po ako doon sa ground (I did not see him, Your Honor, because I was not there on the ground),” Acosta replied.

Acosta said Lachica was the security officer assigned to implement the confidential activities and was the one on the ground.

Ligutan then asked whether Acosta had personal knowledge that the money was actually handed to the individuals named in the acknowledgment receipts.

“Wala, Your Honor (None, Your Honor),” Acosta said.

Acosta said she relied on the documents provided by Lachica and on his explanations when verifying the transactions.

“I-verify po ako kay Colonel Lachica, Your Honor. Reliable po ako sa kanya, Your Honor, kasi siya po ang nag-implement ng mga confidential activities,” she said.

(I verified [them] with Colonel Lachica, Your Honor. I relied on him, Your Honor, because he was the one who implemented the confidential activities.)

She said Lachica was authorized to carry out the operations and had the training and expertise for the work.

Ligutan pressed Acosta on whether, aside from Lachica’s statements and the documents he submitted, she could independently establish that the money was actually given to the supposed recipients.

“Wala (None),” Acosta reiterated.

Acosta: Lachica’s documents were all she had

Acosta earlier testified that the documents she received from Lachica included acknowledgment receipts, rather than official receipts for the transactions.

She said she had raised questions about some of the documents, including instances where there was no date or name indicated.

According to Acosta, Lachica told her that the documents he provided were the receipts available to support the confidential transactions because the operations involved sensitive and confidential information.

Acosta said she accepted his explanation because Lachica was the person who implemented the activities on the ground.

The prosecution has been questioning Acosta about her role as special disbursing officer and the extent to which she could verify the actual use of the confidential funds.

Ligutan also cited Section 6.2.3.1 of the Joint Service Order, which he said required Acosta to submit an investigation report.

Acosta confirmed that she submitted an investigation report dated January 10, 2023, concerning the OVP’s confidential funds. —AOL, GMA News