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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Parang na-memorize': Prosecution team stops short of saying witness Gina Acosta got 'coached'

'Parang na-memorize': Prosecution team stops short of saying witness Gina Acosta got 'coached'

Published Aug 24, 2026 05:07 pm

At A Glance

  • Hostile witness Gina Acosta gave repetitive, memorized‑sounding answers during the continuation of the Sara Duterte impeachment trial, and this prompted prosecutors to question whether interruptions allowed the defense to prepare her.
  • Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores and adviser Robert Ace Barbers compared her current testimony to her 2024 House appearance, noting she was previously responsive but now relied on one recurring line about Col. Raymund Dante Lachica handling confidential funds.
  • Barbers agreed with prosecutor Amando Ligutan's view that Acosta's answers appeared evasive, while Flores said they were not scripted but overly "safe," repeating the same statement to avoid mistakes.


Was hostile witness Gina Acosta "coached" before stepping back on the witness stand in the continuation of Vice President Sara Duterte's Senate impeachment trial Monday, Aug. 24?
At the very least, this question entered the minds of the House prosecution team members after they took note of Acosta's repetitive responses that sounded like they were "memorized".
Bukidnon 2nd district Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores and House impeachment adviser Robert Ace Barbers were asked in a press conference on the sidelines of the hearing whether or not the trial interruptions caused by last week's inclement weather gave the defense an opportunity to prepare Acosta.
“Hindi ko naman siya sasabihing na-coach. But if you can observe, paulit-ulit iyong isang phrase lang na answer niya na parang na-memorize na answer,” Flores said of the former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursement officer (SDO).
(I would not say she was coached. But if you can observe, she kept repeating just one phrase as her answer, like a memorized response.)
Flores said his assessment came from personally observing Acosta during the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability proceedings in 2024, where she discussed her role in the handling of the OVP confidential funds.
“I cannot help but compare it with the way she answered in the committee hearing before, when we were still members of that committee. Iba iyong pagsagot niya. Very much responsive siya,” Flores explained.
(Her way of answering was different. She was very much responsive.)
In day 17 of the trial Wednesday, Acosta repeatedly said she had relied on Col. Raymund Dante Lachica regarding the confidential funds because he possessed security expertise, implemented confidential operations on the field, and supplied her with utilization records.
Flores said the answer recurred even when prosecutors asked about different stages of planning, disbursement, verification and liquidation.
“Hindi isang sentence lang ang sagot niya na paulit-ulit. Mas sinasagot niya iyong mga tanong dati. Ngayon (Now), unfortunately, everyone can observe naman: she gives the same answer for every question,” he said.
(She did not give just one repeated sentence as his answer. She used to answer the questions more fully before.)
Acosta, who remains employed by the OVP, previously testified before senator-judges last Aug. 17.
Evasive
Barbers agreed with private prosecutor Amando Virgil Ligutan’s courtroom observation that some of Acosta's answers appeared evasive. “Hindi naman siguro totally coached. But sa tingin ko, tama iyong observation ni Atty. Ligutan na evasive."
(I don’t think he was totally coached. But in my view, Atty. Ligutan’s observation that he was evasive is correct.)
The ex-Surigao del Norte congressman added: “The best way to evade a question is to stick with a line.”
Barbers recalled that Acosta had answered more spontaneously in the 2024 House inquiry said the contrast in demeanor was noticeable.
That difference, he maintained, justified close attention to whether she was responding directly to each material question.
Barbers--without making any accusation--says Acosta may simply be taking the “less talk, less mistake” approach.
Flores used more restrained language when asked whethe or not the witness' testimony was scripted.
“Hindi naman siguro scripted, but siguro parang safe—sobrang safe po. Hindi siya lalampas doon sa statement na iyon. Hindi siya magkakamali; iyon lang paulit-ulit ang sagot niya,” he said.
(I don’t think it was scripted, but maybe it was safe—very safe. She did not go beyond that statement. She did not make mistakes; she just kept repeating that answer.)

Related Tags

Gina Acosta OVP confidential funds Coaching Robert Ace Barbers Jonathan Keith Flores Sara Duterte
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