FORMER Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) head Colonel Raymund Lachica said he is ready to appear and testify in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
“I have never refused to appear or testify; if lawfully called, I am prepared to tell the truth, subject to applicable laws and security restrictions,” Lachica said in a statement.
During the impeachment trial on Monday, August 24, 2026, former Office of the Vice President (OVP) Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta said she disbursed the OVP’s P500 million in confidential funds in 2022 and the first three quarters of 2023 to Lachica upon Duterte’s orders.
Acosta said after the confidential activities were implemented, Lachica submitted a fund utilization report and acknowledgment receipts to her, which she used in preparing her liquidation and accomplishment reports for the Commission on Audit (COA).
She said she refrained from asking questions about the acknowledgment receipts submitted by Lachica, even though some lacked pertinent information such as signatures and dates, because she was told that such details were “sensitive.”
Acosta also said she did not inquire about the fictitious names appearing on the acknowledgment receipts, although she believed they referred to real people.
Among the names listed as recipients of the confidential funds were Antonio Pagong, Timon Andrew Pusa, Shane Ngitngit, Xuniso Belat, Ralph Jason Bacon, Diane Maple Lapid, Mary Grace Piatos, Patty Ting and Andy Lim, among others.
Acosta admitted that she fully relied on Lachica for the distribution of the funds because he implemented the confidential program on the ground and was a trusted official of her head of agency, Duterte.
OVP Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio also testified that Duterte was fully aware of the use of confidential funds by her office, from the planning and implementation led by Lachica to the liquidation of the funds with the COA.
In a press conference on Tuesday, August 25, lead House prosecutor Batangas Representative Gerville Luistro said she was not inclined to present Lachica and Colonel Dennis Nolasco before the impeachment court.
Nolasco is also a former member of the VPSPG who was reportedly given P4 million to P6 million in confidential funds from the Department of Education when Duterte was secretary.
“I am more inclined not to present Lachica and Nolasco. My position is simple. Has there already been misuse based on Gina Acosta’s statement that she turned over the entire amount to a security officer who is not an accountable officer? Has there already been misappropriation? Has there already been irregular liquidation? For me, it is clear,” Luistro said in a mix of Tagalog and English.
“I am always guided by the allegations in the Articles of Impeachment because these are what we need to prove. Article 1 alleges misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds. I don’t think there is a need to present Colonel Lachica. But again, that is personal. We will have to wait for the official position of the entire prosecution team,” she added. (TPM)