Ex-OVP disbursing officer testifies to secret fund handover system

MANILA — A ex-special disbursing officer's account before the Senate impeachment tribunal has revealed what she described as an established procedure for channeling confidential government funds to security officers under Vice President Sara Duterte across multiple administrations.

Gina Acosta, who held the disbursing post at the Office of the Vice President, provided testimony indicating that the practice of entrusting sensitive financial allocations to security personnel was consistent throughout Duterte's public service career, from her years administering Davao City to her current national office.

The witness testimony forms part of ongoing impeachment proceedings that have scrutinized the handling of executive funds under Duterte's leadership. The revelation of a systematic approach to distributing confidential monies through security channels raises questions about financial accountability and oversight mechanisms within the vice presidential office.

The testimony underscores allegations that established protocols, rather than isolated incidents, may have governed the transfer of sensitive funds during Duterte's tenure. Senate investigators have focused on tracing the origins and destinations of these confidential allocations as part of their broader examination of the OVP's financial management.