Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon – Photo courtesy of Terry Ridon/Facebook
Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said accountability for the alleged misuse of confidential funds should not end with former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta and Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, arguing that Vice President Sara Duterte should also be held responsible.
Ridon, a member of the House prosecution team, made the statement after Acosta faced another round of questioning during Day 17 of Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday.
According to Ridon, Acosta’s testimony exposed possible violations in the handling of OVP confidential funds, particularly her admission that she released money to Lachica despite knowing that he was not a bonded officer.
Prosecutors have questioned the arrangement under Joint Circular No. 2015-01, which sets rules for the release, use and liquidation of confidential and intelligence funds. The guidelines require cash advances to be handled by authorized and bonded officials and prohibit transfers between accountable officers.
Ridon said Acosta could face legal consequences over the transactions, while Lachica could also be exposed to liability. He stressed, however, that personnel who carried out the transactions should not be the only ones held accountable.
The lawmaker pointed to Acosta’s earlier testimony that she turned over confidential funds to Lachica upon Duterte’s instruction. Acosta had made similar statements during a House inquiry in 2024.
A similar arrangement was previously described by former DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, who said Duterte instructed him to turn over confidential funds to another security officer while she headed the Education department.
Acosta was the prosecution’s sixth witness under Article I of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Duterte of misusing confidential funds allocated to the OVP. She completed her testimony and was excused by the Senate Impeachment Court on Monday.