By GMA News Published August 26, 2026 6:50am + Add GMA on Google Make this your preferred source to get more updates from this publisher on Google. View key events Auto-refresh 18 mins ago Copied! Sara Duterte impeachment trial Day 19: What to expect The second hostile witness called by the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte is set to return to the court on Wednesday to continue his testimony regarding the alleged misuse of confidential funds. Lemuel Ortonio, Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff, will be called to the witness stand again for his cross-examination by the defense team. Thereafter, both the prosecution and the defense will be given the opportunity for redirect and recross examinations of the witness. The senator-judges will also be given two minutes each per round for their interjections. 18 mins ago Copied! Sara Duterte impeachment trial Day 18: OVP witness says Duterte knew, authorized confidential fund activities Day 18 of the impeachment trial started with the presentation of Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio as a hostile witness, given that his tenure is co-terminus with that of his boss. During the direct examination of private prosecutor Mae Divinagracia, Ortonio testified that the OVP under Vice President Sara Duterte requested P250 million in confidential funds in August 2022 and submitted the corresponding spending plan almost a month later. Before the direct examination of Divinagracia on Ortonio ended, the hostile witness said that Duterte knew how the P500 million confidential fund was spent. "Mr. Ortonio, lahat ng nangyayari at ginagawa kaugnay ng confidential fund mula sa paghingi nito sa DBM, sa paggastos, kung paano ito ginastos, paano ito ni-liquidate, kasabay na ‘yung mga sagot na binigay kaugnay sa AOM, notice of suspension, at notice of disallowance, lahat ito ay alam, nasa ilalim ng superbisyon, pinahintulutan, at inotorisa ng ikalawang pangulo?” Escudero asked. (Mr. Ortonio, were all the events and actions regarding the confidential fund—from the request made to the DBM, the spending and the manner in which it was spent, and its liquidation, as well as the responses provided concerning the AOM, notice of suspension, and notice of disallowance—known to, supervised by, permitted, and authorized by the vice president?” Escudero asked. Before this, defense counsel Kristine Ferrer objected and moved to strike off the record Divinagracia’s question asking Ortonio to confirm that the Vice President is the so-called “architect” and “mastermind” of the confidential fund operation. Escudero ruled in favor of the defense and asked the prosecution lawyer to use “more acceptable” words. Divinagracia submitted to Escudero’s ruling but made it clear that the prosecution's use of words is a matter of telling the truth. “We want to call spade a spade,” Divinagracia said.