Who is Lemuel Ortonio?

Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) took the witness stand on Tuesday for the impeachment trial of her boss, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Ortonio's term as Assistant Chief of Staff is also co-terminus with that of the Vice President, which ends on June 30, 2028, and he has been working for the Vice President much of his professional life.

During the direct examination of private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia, Ortonio said that aside from being the Assistant Chief of Staff of the OVP, he also served as the Davao city government’s head of Human Resources Management Office from 2018 to 2022.

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Likewise, Ortonio led the Davao City Promotions Center from 2016 to 2018.

When Vice President Duterte was Vice Mayor of Davao City from 2008 to 2010, Ortonio said he also served as her Chief-of-Staff.

Ortonio, however, said he started his professional life working for the state-run Home Development Mutual Fund and Davao City Chamber of Commerce.

Senate impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero ultimately declared Ortonio as a hostile witness, given that he clearly serves at the pleasure of the Vice President and his current employment tenure is co-terminus with that of the Vice President. —VAL, GMA News