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MANILA, Philippines — Last week’s testimony of Gina Acosta, a former special disbursing officer (SDO) of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), was “one of the smoking guns” proving the misuse of confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte, according to Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon.
Ridon, a member of the House prosecution team, recalled how Acosta revealed at the Aug. 17 hearing that Duterte personally ordered the release of P125 million in confidential funds to her security chief, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, on Dec. 20, 2022.
She then admitted that, as SDO, she could not cite any provision under Joint Circular No. 2015-01, which sets the guidelines for the release of confidential or intelligence funds, that authorizes a security officer to carry out disbursements, the lawmaker added.
“Her testimony really is one of the smoking guns in this trial because she directly pointed to the Vice President as the one who ordered her to give P125 million worth of confidential funds to Col. Lachica, who is not an organic OVP personnel,” Ridon said at a news forum on Saturday.
