00:00Witness and former OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta tells the impeachment court the order to hand over confidential funds
00:07worth 125 million pesos to Vice President Sara Duterte's security officer came from Duterte herself.
00:13The prosecution argues the transaction facilitated by Acosta to Colonel Raymond Lachica violates the government's rules on the use of
00:20confidential funds.
00:35Acosta is the first to be identified as a hostile witness in the trial, meaning she displays open bias against
00:40the party that summoned her, that is, the prosecution.
00:43Acosta has worked with Duterte since 2016 and is still part of the OVP staff, although no longer the disbursing
00:49officer.
00:50When asked why she handed the money over to Lachica instead of disbursing it herself, Acosta says the joint circular
00:56that governs the use of confidential funds does not explicitly require her to go on the ground.
01:01Ang pagpa-implement po ng various confidential activities in relation po sa confidential fund, Your Honor, ay saklaw po sa
01:09trabaho ng security officer, Your Honor, kasi confidential po yun, Your Honor.
01:15The 2015 joint circular states that confidential funds must be disbursed by the agency's disbursing officer.
01:22Acosta already named Duterte as the giver of the order to release the funds back in November 2024 at a
01:27committee probe of the House of Representatives.
01:29But the prosecution says her retelling on Monday holds more weight.
01:34I think it's more important because the testimony of Ms. Acosta is subject to cross-examination.
01:43So, Ibig sabihin, kung ano man po yung magiging resulta po na ito, ay titignan po natin bilang paglalahad po
01:50ng aktual na katotohanan.
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