THE House prosecution panel said Monday that an AI-generated image used during Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial was presented as a visual aid to help the public and the Senate Impeachment Court grasp the physical scale of ₱125 million in cash and not as an actual photograph of the funds withdrawn by the Office of the Vice President (OVP).
During former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta’s testimony, the prosecution displayed a simulated image and physical mock-ups of bundled cash.
After questioning by the defense, prosecutor Amando Ligutan acknowledged that the image was AI-generated because the panel did not possess ₱125 million to photograph.
House prosecution legal spokesperson Benjamin S. Tolosa Jr. rejected the suggestion that the presentation was intended to mislead.
“There was no intention from the prosecution to pretend that those were the actual funds,” Tolosa said. “It was just a visual representation.”
Tolosa said the relevant question was whether the demonstrative materials resembled what Acosta had seen and carried after encashing the OVP’s ₱125-million Landbank check on Dec. 20, 2022.
Acosta told the court that the pictured bags were not identical to the four bags she used, noting a difference in their shape and zipper design. She nevertheless confirmed that the ₱125 million fit inside four bags, saying the simulated bundles bore similarities to the cash she received.
“If you used AI or what, it’s immaterial,” Tolosa said. “Just to show kung gaano talaga karami iyong bulto-bultong pera na pinag-uusapan natin dito.”
The panel said the images were not offered as proof that the exact bags, bundles or arrangement shown in the image existed but to translate a nine-digit figure into a scale that viewers could understand while Acosta described receiving and transporting the cash.
Earlier Landbank testimony established that Acosta encashed four authentic OVP checks worth ₱125 million each between December 2022 and July 2023. A former branch manager described the repeated large withdrawals as unusual but not suspicious and said the transactions were legitimate.
The impeachment dispute concerns what happened to the public money after withdrawal and whether its handling and liquidation complied with government rules.
Rep. Bienvenido M. Abante Jr. of Manila said he expected Duterte’s lawyers to challenge every aspect of the presentation.
He said the visual display underscored why the ₱125-million transaction required a full explanation from the official who headed the OVP.
“I expect the defense to do everything they can to exonerate the Vice President,” Abante said. “Pinapakita lang natin kung gaano katindi ang ₱125 million na dapat malaman ng taong bayan.”
Abante renewed his call for Duterte to personally address the Impeachment Court instead of leaving the explanation to current and former OVP personnel. Whether Duterte will testify is a matter for the defense, which presents its case after the prosecution rests.
“I think the Vice President should come because she continues to make a mockery of Congress,” Abante said.
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