Senators grill Sara’s ex-disbursing officer

Former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta faced tough questioning from senators on Monday over her role in handling P500 million in confidential funds, despite admitting she had no background or training in confidential operations.

Acosta personally encashed four P125-million checks for the OVP between December 2022 and July 2023. She testified that Vice President Sara Duterte instructed her to turn over the money to then OVP security officer Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, whom she said was responsible for implementing the confidential activities. During the impeachment trial, senators questioned how Acosta could handle such large sums while saying she did not know the intended recipients and had little involvement in decisions on how the funds were used.

Asked by prosecution lawyer Amando Ligutan why Duterte chose her as special disbursing officer for both the OVP and Davao City government, Acosta replied, “I don’t know why the Vice President chose me as an SDO.”

She said she had no background or specialized training in confidential operations. Acosta, who holds a degree in Customs Administration, said there was no requirement for an SDO to undergo such training.

Ligutan pressed her on whether she became an SDO simply by following orders.

“I’m not blind,” Acosta replied. “As far as I was concerned, I was simply doing my duties as an SDO.”

Under Joint Circular No. 2015-01, an SDO is designated to handle and account for confidential and intelligence fund disbursements. Such disbursements must be supported by documentary evidence and secured in a sealed envelope signed by the SDO and kept in the agency’s safe.

‘I don’t know’

Asked who the intended recipients of the funds were, Acosta answered, “I have no idea.”

She said Lachica knew the recipients and that she had no say over when the funds were released. She also relied on documents Lachica submitted after the confidential activities had been carried out.

“I also based it on the documents given to me by Colonel Lachica after the confidential funds had already been implemented,” she said.

Sen. Raffy Tulfo challenged her over documents submitted by Lachica containing names purportedly identifying confidential informants, including “Belat,” “Pagong” and “Pusa.”

Tulfo questioned why Acosta did not become suspicious after seeing several names appearing under what appeared to be a single signature.

“If you are a normal or average person, you would object and say, ‘Wait a minute, Colonel, why is it like this?’” Tulfo said.

Acosta said she referred the documents to Lachica, who told her the names were confidential and sensitive.

“So you believed what he told you — that it was confidential because there was only one signature for so many names? You took his word for it?” Tulfo asked.

Acosta said she trusted Lachica because he was tasked with implementing the confidential activities on the ground.

“Because he was the one who implemented the confidential activities on the ground. He was assigned to implement them. He was the implementor,” she said.

Tulfo then rebuked her.

“For me, in this case, you were stupid in the name of blind loyalty,” he said.

“What did you actually decide?”

Sen. Joel Villanueva separately pressed Acosta on whether she exercised her own judgment in handling the funds.

“What decision did you make using your own judgment? What was it that you actually decided?” Villanueva asked.

Acosta struggled to identify a decision she had made independently and maintained that her role was to process the paperwork required for the release of the funds.

Villanueva characterized her testimony as suggesting that documents simply passed through her and were approved as long as they met the requirements she was checking.

“So what you’re saying is that documents simply passed through you, and whatever came through you, you simply approved?” Villanueva asked.