Palace: Imee Marcos' questioning appears aimed at clearing Sara Duterte over confidential funds

Malacañang on Tuesday said Senator Imee Marcos’ line of questioning during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte appeared aimed at clearing the Vice President of accountability over the use of confidential funds.

At a Palace briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro was asked about Marcos’ exchange with former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, who testified that she never personally saw Duterte take or keep any of the confidential funds she disbursed.

Castro said Marcos had the right to ask questions as a senator-judge, but pointed to what she described as the direction of the questioning.

“Karapatan naman niyang magtanong bilang judge, pero makikita niyo po kung saan papunta yung kanyang tanong. Unang-una ay nais niyang malusot ang bise presidente sa mga akusasyon tungkol sa paggasta ng confidential funds,” Castro said.

(She has the right to ask questions as a judge, but you can see where her line of questioning is headed. First of all, she wants to get the Vice President off the hook from the allegations concerning the spending of confidential funds.)

"Pero tandaan po natin, mismo ang witness ay umamin na ang nag-utos na ibigay ang confidential fund buong P125 million ay utos ng bise presidente," she added.

(But let us remember that the witness herself admitted that the order to release the entire ₱125 million in confidential funds came from the Vice President.)

Castro noted that Imee Marcos’ questions emphasized that Duterte did not physically handle the money and was not beside Acosta when the documents on the funds were prepared.

But according to Castro, physical possession of the money was not necessary to establish accountability.

“Hindi naman kailangan hawakan ang pera para maggastos. Pwedeng iutos lamang ito.”

(You do not need to physically hold the money to spend it. It can simply be ordered.)

GMA News Online sought the senator's side and will post her response once it is available.

Palace cites P125-M release to Lachica

Castro pointed to Acosta’s testimony that Duterte ordered the release of the P125 million confidential funds to then-OVP security officer Col. Raymund Lachica.

“Mismo ang witness ay umamin na ang nag-utos na ibigay ang confidential fund, buong P125 million, ay utos ng bise presidente sa kanyang security officer na si Colonel Lachica,” she said.

(The witness herself admitted that it was the Vice President who ordered the entire P125 million confidential fund to be given to her security officer, Colonel Lachica.)

For Castro, this showed that Duterte exercised command and control over the release of the funds even if she did not personally receive or handle the cash.

She also said Lachica’s role in the implementation of the confidential fund should be investigated by the Office of the Ombudsman, after the Armed Forces of the Philippines reportedly left the matter to the anti-graft body.

She also criticized Acosta’s repeated testimony that she merely relayed information to Lachica, whom she said implemented the confidential fund activities on the ground.

Acosta had repeatedly cited the confidential nature of the transactions when asked about details of the expenditures.

“Dito ay makikita ng sambayanang Pilipino kung paano naging dikahon ang sagot ng witness. Paulit-ulit kahit saang daling tanong, doon pa rin at doon at iikot ang sagot niya,” Castro said.

(The Filipino people can see here how the witness’ answers became boxed in. No matter how simple the question was, the answer would repeatedly circle back to the same point.)

Castro said Acosta’s testimony nonetheless pointed to Duterte and Lachica in the handling and implementation of the confidential funds.

She also raised questions about Acosta’s handling of liquidation documents, saying the testimony revealed a pattern in the way confidential funds were accounted for.

“Tandaan natin, this is public funds, and this confidential fund is part of public funds.”

(Let us remember that these are public funds, and these confidential funds are part of public funds.)

On Monday's impeachment trial, Imee Marcos threw a series of questions to Acosta about the confidential fund.

"Mula noong kinuha ninyo ang pera sa bangko at tinurn over kay Col. Lachica, may pagkakataon ba na hinawakan iyong pera ni VP Sara? ... Masasabi mo ba kung nakita kahit isang sentimo iyong pera ni VP?" Marcos said, to which Acosta replied, "Wala ma'am."

"Puwede mo bang sabihin kung kinuha o inangkin o inagaw ni VP, kahit isang sentimo, itong confidential funds na ito?" Marcos also asked. Acosta replied she did not.

"Noong naghahanda ka ng dokumento, katabi mo ba si VP, parang tiningnan iyong daan-daan, libo-libo na dokumento," Marcos continued.

Acosta replied, "Hindi po ma'am, nagbe-base lang po ako kung paanong gagawin doon sa GC."

Marcos also said. "Si Col. Lachica at hindi si VP Sara ang nabigay sa inyo ng mga papeles. Siya ba ang kumuha ng mga signature ng mga nakapirma sa resibo?"

"Si Col. Lachica po ang security officer at siya po ang nag-implement, ma'am," Acosta said.—LDF, GMA News