Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo on Monday questioned why former Office of the Vice President (OVP) special disbursing officer Gina Acosta appeared to have difficulty answering in Tagalog during Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial despite previously doing so before the House of Representatives.

Acosta, who handled cash advances involving the OVP’s confidential funds, was declared a hostile witness by the Senate impeachment court upon the request of the House prosecution. She opted to answer in Bisaya during her testimony.

“Hindi ko po maintindihan bakit parang dito hirap na hirap po siya mag-Tagalog when in fact sa Congress po noong November, Tagalog naman po ang sagot niya (I don’t understand why she seems to be having such difficulty speaking Tagalog here when, in fact, in Congress last November, she answered in Tagalog),” Tulfo said.

Tulfo presented a transcript of Acosta’s November 2024 House testimony, citing exchanges in which she answered questions in Tagalog and English on the handling of confidential funds.

Among the portions he cited were Acosta’s responses concerning incentive payments, her authority as special disbursing officer, and funds she said were returned to her by then Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group chief Col. Raymund Dante Lachica.

Tulfo also read an exchange involving the name “Piattos,” which figured in the House inquiry into acknowledgment receipts for confidential fund expenditures.

He asked the impeachment court to have Acosta answer in Tagalog, arguing that repeatedly translating questions and answers between Filipino and Bisaya could unnecessarily lengthen the trial.

“Eh abutin po tayo ng isang taon dito, Mr. President (We could take a year here, Mr. President),” Tulfo said.

Tulfo maintained that Acosta’s previous congressional testimony showed she could understand and respond to questions in Tagalog.

“Mr. President, tama na po itong panloloko sa atin (Mr. President, enough of this deception),” he said.

Senate presiding officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero acknowledged Tulfo’s concern and directed prosecution lawyer Amando Ligutan to stick to one language when questioning Acosta instead of translating every question automatically.

“Point well taken. Atty. Ligutan, to abbreviate the proceedings, kindly choose one language: English or Filipino in asking the question. You don’t have to translate each time unless the witness requests you to do so,” Escudero said.

“Preferably use Filipino, Atty. Ligutan, as I’m sure you are well versed with it as well para mas maunawaan po ni Ms. Gina (so Ms. Gina can understand it better),” he added.

Prosecution puzzled over language difficulty

The House prosecution panel also said they were puzzled by Acosta’s apparent difficulty speaking Filipino during her impeachment trial testimony despite having readily answered questions in the national language during a 2024 House inquiry.

In a press briefing, House prosecutor and San Juan City Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora said the prosecution noticed the contrast after Tulfo first raised the issue.

“We were wondering about the difficulty earlier. Noong hearing sa Congress noon ay nakakaintindi naman siya ng mga tanong in English, Filipino. And she would answer in English, Filipino, and Bisaya na halo (During the hearing in Congress, she understands questions in English, Filipino. And she would answer in mixed English, Filipino, and Bisaya),” she said.

Zamora, however, stopped short of attributing any motive to Acosta.

“But of course, I don’t want to say that there was some malice involved,” she said, noting that Acosta made a greater effort to answer in Filipino after Tulfo’s intervention.

“Siguro (I think) that made the witness try a little harder pagkatapos mag-manifest ni (after the manifestation of) Sen. Erwin Tulfo,” Zamora said.

Former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers, House impeachment adviser and spokesperson, gave Acosta the benefit of the doubt saying she may simply have been nervous because she was testifying in an impeachment trial.

“Marunong naman siya mag-Tagalog eh (She knows how to speak Tagalog). The transcript of the Committee on Good Government shows that she can reply, respond to a question either in English or in Tagalog,” Barbers said.

“So siguro medyo kinabahan lang (She might be a little nervous). We will give her that benefit of the doubt, so to speak,” he added.

Barbers also said Acosta’s Cebuano responses did not pose a major problem because Ligutan could understand and translate them.

Acosta remains an aide at the Office of the Vice President but formerly served as Duterte’s special disbursing officer, handling PHP500 million in OVP confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.

She was declared a hostile prosecution witness earlier Monday as prosecutors began questioning her on the handling and liquidation of the funds. (PNA)