Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon – Photo courtesy of Terry Ridon/Facebook
Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Tuesday urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate whether Vice President Sara Duterte and other Office of the Vice President officials may have committed malversation in connection with the use of confidential funds.
Ridon raised the call as the Senate Impeachment Court continued hearing allegations surrounding the OVP’s handling of confidential funds.
“We call on the Ombudsman to look into whether there is actual malversation committed by Miss Acosta, Mr. Lachica, Vice President Sara Duterte in using the confidential funds,” Ridon said.
His remarks followed testimony from former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, who acknowledged turning over confidential funds to Army Col. Raymund Dante Lachica despite knowing that he was not a bonded officer.
Ridon argued that responsibility should ultimately be examined beyond Acosta and Lachica, pointing to Duterte’s alleged instruction to transfer Php 125 million in confidential funds from Acosta to Lachica.
He described Duterte’s alleged role in ordering the transfer as the “original sin,” while maintaining that whether criminal liability exists should be investigated by the Ombudsman.
Ridon also questioned the OVP’s reported spending on safe houses, saying expenditures of about Php 16 million per quarter have yet to be adequately explained during the impeachment proceedings.
He compared the amounts to rental costs in some of Metro Manila’s most expensive residential areas, questioning whether such spending was reasonable for the stated purpose.
The lawmaker also cited documents authenticated during the testimony of OVP Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, saying questions remain over the amounts and periods covered by the reported expenditures.
The Senate Impeachment Court is hearing allegations concerning Duterte’s use and management of confidential funds as part of the impeachment case against the Vice President.