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GOVERNMENT officers formally entrusted with confidential funds can face serious personal consequences if they cannot account for the public money placed under their custody, making claims of ignorance particularly damaging in Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial.
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Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V of La Union on Monday stressed the responsibility of accountable officers as he discussed testimony on the movement of OVP confidential funds.
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“Talagang dapat po alam nila kasi pwede po silang makulong dyan, eh. Pwede po silang matanggal sa trabaho dyan, eh,” Ortega said.
The prosecution has focused on former Office of the Vice President Special Disbursing Officer Gina
Acosta’s role as the OVP special disbursing officer because she was formally accountable for confidential-fund cash that she testified was subsequently turned over to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, the former head of the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, following Duterte’s instruction.
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Ortega said the designation carried an obligation to understand the complete movement of the money, from its receipt and release to the manner in which it was processed and accounted for.
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“Dapat siya po ang pinaka may alam. Siya po ang pinaka-naiintindihan kung saan nanggaling ‘yun at saan po napunta at paano po prinoseso lahat. Kasi siya po ang inutusan eh,” Ortega said.
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The Impeachment Court has heard testimony that Lachica ultimately handled the funds despite serving as a security officer rather than the bonded special disbursing officer formally charged with their custody.
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While Ortega acknowledged responsibility on the part of officials who handled the cash, he said the chain of accountability does not end with employees carrying out instructions because authority over the transactions originated higher in the office.
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“Kaya nga po ang Head of Office ay siyempre may command responsibility po dyan. Siya po ‘yung pinakamabigat,” Ortega said.
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Acosta and OVP Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio both testified about Duterte’s instructions or authority in the confidential-fund process while identifying Lachica as the person who ultimately handled or implemented the money after its release.
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Ortega said those accounts consequently lead the accountability inquiry upward rather than allowing responsibility to remain solely with the employees who physically processed the transactions.
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“Kaya nga po ang nangyayari, hindi po alam ni Acosta saan napunta, basta ang alam niya po, inutusan siya ni VP Sara, tapos si Lachica po ‘yung tumanggap ng pera. Ganun din po ang sagot ni Ortonio. Kaya ngayon po, ang turuan, pataas na naman po, pabalik po sa taas, pabalik po sa Head of Office,” Ortega said.
