Ex-VP security chief willing to testify

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s former chief security officer is willing to testify before the Senate impeachment court after two hostile witnesses repeatedly claimed he received the P500-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

In a statement, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica denied that he refused to testify before the impeachment trial.

“I have never refused to appear or testify; if lawfully called, I am prepared to tell the truth, subject to applicable laws and security restrictions,” Lachica said yesterday.

Former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta testified that the P500-million confidential funds were released to Lachica, later corroborated by OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday said it will fully cooperate if the impeachment court summons Lachica to testify.

“That’s the very reason he is placed attached unassigned status at the Philippine Army headquarters, so that in the event he is called upon, the AFP shows that we are really supporting and cooperating in this conduct of investigation,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla told reporters at a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

“If there are proper summons, we will abide,” she noted.

Defense undecided

Meanwhile, Duterte’s defense team has yet to decide whether Lachica will be called to testify despite being listed among their possible witnesses.

“We will just react to what the prosecution will do, meaning if we think we have points that we need to clarify or defenses that we really need to raise during our time to present our evidence,” defense spokesman Michael Poa said.

Poa added they will make a decision after the prosecution completes its presentation.

“Because after each article is over, we internally assess what we think we need to explain when it comes to the defense. So maybe after this Article 1, we will also talk to our co-counsels to see who we need to present,” he said. — Michael Punongbayan