MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial could be heading toward one of its most closely watched moments yet after former vice presidential security chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica said he is prepared to testify before the Senate impeachment court if he is formally and lawfully summoned.
Lachica, whose name has repeatedly surfaced in testimony involving the Office of the Vice President’s controversial confidential funds, said Tuesday that he has never refused to face the proceedings.
“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 in a statement reported by GMA News.
His willingness to take the witness stand could become significant because prosecution witnesses have placed him at the center of questions surrounding how millions of pesos in confidential funds were physically handled after being withdrawn.
Why Lachica’s Testimony Could Matter
Former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta testified that Vice President Duterte instructed her to turn over ₱125 million in confidential funds to Lachica in December 2022.
Acosta reaffirmed that account during the impeachment trial and said she had handed confidential funds to Lachica despite him not being an organic OVP employee responsible for their formal disbursement.
Her testimony has become one of the prosecution’s most consequential pieces of evidence under Article I of the impeachment case, which centers on the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
On August 24, Acosta also testified that acknowledgment receipts documenting Lachica’s alleged receipt of the ₱125 million were later returned to him, meaning she no longer possessed the documents herself.
That claim increases the importance of Lachica’s own account.
If summoned, senators could potentially ask him directly whether he received the money, what happened to it afterward, what authority governed its handling and whether the transactions complied with confidential-fund regulations.
Prosecution Had Earlier Hesitated to Call Him
The prospect of Lachica testifying represents a notable shift in the trial.
Only days earlier, prosecution lawyer Lorna Kapunan said prosecutors were not initially planning to call Lachica or another military officer, Col. Dennis Nolasco, partly out of respect for an Armed Forces of the Philippines internal investigation involving the officers.
During the August 24 proceedings, however, prosecution lawyer Amando Ligutan said the panel had yet to decide whether or when Lachica would ultimately be presented.
Senator-judge Joel Villanueva openly raised the question of when the former security chief might appear.
Lachica’s latest statement now removes at least one uncertainty: he says he is willing to appear if legally required to do so.
₱500 Million in OVP Confidential Funds Under Scrutiny
The controversy surrounding Lachica extends beyond a single ₱125-million release.
According to GMA News, Acosta testified that she released a total of ₱500 million in OVP confidential funds in 2022 and 2023 to Lachica following Duterte’s instructions, citing his security expertise.
The broader impeachment proceedings are examining allegations involving ₱612.5 million in confidential funds — ₱500 million attributed to the Office of the Vice President and ₱112.5 million associated with the Department of Education during Duterte’s tenure as education secretary.
DepEd special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda has separately said that ₱37.5 million withdrawn from confidential funds was released to Col. Dennis Nolasco in weekly tranches.
These accounts form part of the prosecution’s effort to trace who controlled the cash after government funds were withdrawn.
COA Findings Add Another Layer to the Case
The confidential-fund controversy has also been examined by the Commission on Audit.
In April, COA officials told lawmakers that a notice of disallowance involving ₱73 million of the OVP’s 2022 confidential-fund spending had been affirmed.
COA also identified another ₱375 million in 2023 confidential-fund spending that it said lacked adequate supporting documentation or proof of accomplishments, identifying Duterte and three others as liable in notices of disallowance.
A notice of disallowance is an audit finding and should not by itself be treated as proof of criminal wrongdoing. The Duterte camp has repeatedly disputed allegations surrounding the confidential funds and has argued that the evidence against the Vice President is insufficient.
Lachica Has Previously Denied Allegations
Lachica has not remained silent throughout the controversy.
In March, he rejected separate allegations linking him to supposed POGO and drug money, describing those accusations as “completely baseless.”
He later challenged allegations made by Ramil Madriaga — who has claimed connections to Duterte and her security personnel — saying Madriaga’s different versions contained “glaring” inconsistencies.
Lachica previously indicated that he wanted to address accusations against him in an appropriate legal forum.
That forum could now be the Senate impeachment court.
From Security Chief to Potential Key Witness
Lachica formerly headed the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group, which has since been renamed the Armed Forces of the Philippines Security and Protection Group.
He was relieved of the post in October 2025 and returned to the Philippine Army. The Army later confirmed that he remained on unattached or unassigned status at headquarters.
His military position is one reason his possible testimony could be unusually sensitive.
Lachica himself emphasized that any testimony would remain subject to applicable laws and security restrictions.
The impeachment court would therefore have to balance the Senate’s need for evidence with any legitimate restrictions covering military, intelligence or confidential information.
What Happens Next Could Be Crucial
The Duterte impeachment trial is now deep into its examination of Article I, with prosecutors attempting to reconstruct how confidential funds were withdrawn, transferred, liquidated and documented.
Acosta has already placed Lachica directly in the chain of custody for substantial amounts of cash.
Lachica is now saying he is prepared to answer questions.
If the Senate eventually summons him, the trial could move beyond secondhand testimony about what Lachica allegedly received and finally hear directly from the officer himself.
That could either reinforce the prosecution’s narrative, contradict key testimony, provide explanations for the transactions — or introduce entirely new questions about one of the most controversial aspects of the impeachment case.
For both the prosecution and Vice President Duterte’s defense, what Lachica says under oath could prove far more important than the fact that he has now agreed to speak.
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