The Senate Impeachment Court on Tuesday, August 25 declared another witness at the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as a hostile witness.

On Day 18 of the impeachment trial, Presiding Officer Senator-judge Francis Escudero declared Office of the Vice President Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio as a hostile witness, following the request of the prosecution panel.

The prosecution panel presented Ortonio as a witness on Duterte’s alleged misuse of P500-million in confidential funds.

Escudero noted Ortonio’s continued employment under Duterte and established that he had an adverse interest in the proceedings.

“I think it has been established that Ortonio serves at the pleasure of the vice president and has been working for her for quite sometime and is serving up to now—and that if the vice president is impeached and therefore, removed from office, he too, will also be removed,” Escudero said.

“So to abbreviate the proceedings, the Court declares Ortonio as a hostile witness based on his adverse interest vis-a-vis the respondent and prosecution,” he stressed.

According to the prosecution, Ortonio accompanied former OVP special disbursing officer (SDO) Gina Acosta in encashing the confidential funds and helped her transport the cash in traveling bags. 

Earlier, Acosta, who was the first to be declared a hostile witness by the Court, testified that Duterte had ordered her to encash the confidential funds and turn over the money to the head of their security, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica.

Acosta said she followed Duterte’s orders and had full trust on Lachica, who is the Commanding Officer of the Vice Presidential Security Protection Group.

She also confirmed it was Lachica who distributed funds to the supposed beneficiaries of the confidential funds but was unable to verify if he fully implemented the program because she was not present on the ground.