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Staff admission enough to convict Philippine VP Duterte over P625 million fund misuse
Whistleblower Ramil Madriaga earlier revealed Duterte ordered to deliver P125 million (Dh7.57 million) to four recipients in 24 hours; Duterte filed perjury charges against Madriaga
- PUBLISHED: Wed 19 Aug 2026, 5:59 AM
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte’s staff member’s admission of unusual cash withdrawals and disbursements worth hundreds of millions of pesos is sufficient to establish her guilt for graft and corruption, a Filipino lawmaker observed.
Following Monday’s impeachment trial of Duterte by the Philippine Senate, HOR prosecutor and Representative Terry Ridon said Duterte’s Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta’s admissions are enough evidence to convict Duterte of the second impeachment article against the vice president
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“We can basically wrap up today and proceed to the next article…[Acosta’s admission is] a clear instruction at the highest level, the head of agency gave the instructions. Truth be told, the issue is already settled,” Ridon concluded.
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Ridon said Monday’s trial was an important testimony day as vice president Duterte was herself identified as the source of orders for the unusual withdrawal of funds in cash and their bulk disbursements.
Duterte is accused of systematic misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds totaling P500 million (Dh30.3 million) from the OVP and P125 million (Dh7.57 million) from the Department of Education.
Duterte is also facing charges of unexplained wealth, false declarations of wealth, bribery and procurement irregularities as vice president and education secretary.
If declared guilty by the Philippine Senate by a vote of 16 out of 24, she will be removed as Philippine vice president. It remains unsure, however, if enough number of votes could be mustered against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s most bitter political opponent as she has several senators-judges as allies.
What did Acosta admit?
Acosta, acting as a “hostile witness” for the prosecution admitted that she and another Duterte staff withdrew P125 million (Dh7.57 million) in cold cash in a single transaction. The cash was put in four separate black bags and was given to Duterte’s security head, Col Raymund Lachica, she added.
Acosta added she was ordered to do so upon orders of the head of agency,” Duterte. The disbursing officer claimed not knowing where the money was taken by Lachica.
Duterte consultant-turned-whistleblower Ramil Madriaga earlier revealed Duterte ordered Lachica and himself to deliver the bags to four recipients “in less than 24 hours,” and not spent in 11 days as OVP claimed in reports to the Philippine Commission on Audit.
Duterte later filed perjury charges against Madriaga in her denial of his revelations.
Duterte’s defense lawyers tried to downplay the significance of Acosta’s testimony in a post-trial press briefing, saying her admissions are as non-incriminating or consistent with standard operations.
Feigned confusion
It was not as if Acosta quickly threw her former boss under the bus. In an apparent attempt to deflect the prosecution’s questions, Duterte’s former finance staff feigned difficulty in understanding English and Filipino.
“I am confused, Your Honor,” she repeatedly told the Senate impeachment court, forcing fellow Cebuano-speaking prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan to translate the questions.
But after a severe tongue-lashing from an irate senator, she suddenly understood both languages well, fielding questions in near-perfect Filipino.
Senator-Judge Erwin Tulfo stood up with a House of Representatives (HOR) inquiry transcript from November 2024, reading portions where it appeared Duterte’s staff perfectly knew and understood Filipino.
“Enough of this attempt to deceive us!” Tulfo exclaimed.
When the impeachment trial resumed after the lunch break, Acosta suddenly did not require translations.
What’s next in the trial?
Acosta was scheduled to be cross-examined by Duterte’s lawyers on Tuesday, but the Senate decided on a recess due to bad weather battering much of the Philippines.
Ridon said the prosecution will discuss in the coming days the need to present other witnesses in the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
The impeachment trial has earlier concluded discussions on the first impeachment article against the vice president: betrayal of public trust, specifically citing her controversial public death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the First Lady, and the former House Speaker.