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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Witness tells Senate Impeachment Court: Col. Lachica is not an OVP employee

Witness tells Senate Impeachment Court: Col. Lachica is not an OVP employee

Published Aug 26, 2026 02:00 pm

At A Glance

  • According to Office of the Vice President Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio, Col. Raymund Lachica, whose name has repeatedly cropped up in the ongoing impeachment trial on the vice president's alleged misuse of confidential funds, was designated to the OVP Security and Protection Group (OVP-SPG) by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
Philippine Army Colonel Raymund Lachica (File photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines Security and Protection Group)
Philippine Army Colonel Raymund Lachica (File photo: Armed Forces of the Philippines Security and Protection Group)
A top official of Vice President Sara Duterte admitted on Wednesday, August 26 that Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, whose name has repeatedly cropped up in the ongoing impeachment trial on the vice president’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, is not an employee of the Office of the Vice President.
This information came up after Senator-judge Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, on Day 19 of the impeachment trial, asked OVP Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio about the status of Lachica’s employment with the OVP.
Sotto made the query after Ortonio confirmed that he is in-charge of all administrative and financial matters in the OVP, and is the head of the human resources department of Davao City local government.
According to Ortonio, Lachica was designated to the OVP Security and Protection Group (OVP-SPG) by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
"Col. Lachica po is the group commander of the OVP SPG, and he is not an employee of the OVP, but there is an order coming from the AFP, designating him as the Vice President Security and Protection Group,” Ortonio said in his response to Sotto’s query.
“Ah so (by) designation? He is not employed (by the OVP)? He has no employment status in the OVP?” Sotto further asked.
“Yes, po your honor,” said Ortonio, the second hostile witness presented by the House prosecution panel.
Also during the trial, Ortonio said that only Duterte and Lachica knew where and how the OVP’s P625-million in confidential funds were spent. 
The witness said he has no personal knowledge of how the confidential funds were actually disbursed.
“I have no personal knowledge, your honor,” Ortonio told senator-judges.
To which Presiding Officer Senator-judge Francis “Chiz” Escudero also affirmed: “Even the Assistant Chief of Staff does not know. This was also the position of the Chief of Staff (Atty. Zuleika Lopez).”
But as head of the OVP, Ortonio said the Vice President alone would know how the activities funded by the confidential funds were utilized.
Besides the Vice President, Lachica would also know how the funds were used since he headed the OVP’s security operations.
“So in your offie, only VP Sara, as head of the agency, knows. You as Assistant Chief of Staff, do not know. The Chief of Staff does not know. Col. Lachica also knows,” Escudero pointed out.
“Yes, as head of the security of the OVP,” Ortonio replied.
Ortonio’s disclosure comes after former OVP Special Disbursing Officer (SDO) Gina Acosta, who is also a hostile witness, admitted before the Senate Impeachment Court that it was the Vice President herself who ordered the encashment of the confidential funds and be released to Col. Lachica.
The Commission on Audit (COA) had earlier issued a Notice of Disallowance covering P73.287-million of the OVP’s confidential fund expenditures due to questionable spending and lack of official receipts.
The prosecution panel has been questioning the OVP’s handling of confidential funds noting how it received the first tranche of P125-million in December 21, 2022 and spent the entire amount in just 11 days. 

Related Tags

Lemuel Ortonio Office of the Vice President Duterte impeachment case 2026 confidential funds Dante Lachica Commission on Audit (COA) Hostile witness
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