A former Land Bank of the Philippines manager testified before the Senate impeachment court that representatives of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) used three to four large gym bags to carry ₱125 million in cash during each of four withdrawals totalling ₱500 million, as prosecutors presented evidence in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte over the alleged misuse of confidential funds.
MANILA, Philippines — Dramatic testimony unfolded on the 10th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial as a former Land Bank of the Philippines official revealed that representatives of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) allegedly used three to four large gym bags to carry ₱125 million in cash during each of four separate withdrawals, amounting to a total of ₱500 million.
Violeta Constantino, the former department manager of the LandBank Shaw Boulevard branch, took the witness stand as the prosecution’s first witness for Article I of the impeachment complaint, which accuses Duterte of the alleged misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds allocated to both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
During her testimony, Constantino told the impeachment court that she personally supervised the encashment of four checks worth ₱125 million each. The transactions took place on December 20, 2022, January 31, 2023, April 18, 2023, and July 13, 2023, bringing the total cash released by the bank to ₱500 million.
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According to Constantino, each withdrawal involved cash prepared in ₱1-million bundles inside the bank’s back room before being turned over to authorised representatives of the OVP.
When asked by the prosecution to describe how the money was transported, Constantino recalled that the cash was placed inside large bags brought by the OVP personnel.
“As far as I remember, it was a large, long bag, similar to a gym bag,” she testified in Filipino.
Pressed further by prosecutor and Manila Representative Joel Chua regarding the number of bags used, Constantino said she remembered approximately three to four gym bags being utilised to carry each ₱125-million withdrawal.
The witness identified the four checks as payable to Gina Acosta, the OVP’s designated special disbursing officer, who personally handled the transactions. She added that Acosta was accompanied by several individuals during the withdrawals, although she could no longer recall the exact number of companions present on each occasion.
Constantino also clarified the role of LandBank personnel during the transactions, explaining that bank employees did not assist in transporting the cash outside the premises. She said this was in accordance with the bank’s long-standing security protocols.
“For safety and security measures, the bank becomes hands-off once the physical cash has been released,” Constantino explained, noting that responsibility for the money shifts entirely to the authorised recipients after turnover.
Her testimony forms a crucial part of the prosecution’s effort to establish the handling of confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President. While the witness detailed the mechanics of the cash withdrawals and the manner in which the funds were released, her testimony did not directly address how the money was later spent or whether it was used improperly.
The impeachment proceedings are expected to continue with additional witnesses and documentary evidence as prosecutors seek to support allegations that confidential funds under Vice President Duterte’s office were improperly managed. The defence, meanwhile, is expected to challenge the prosecution’s evidence and present its own witnesses in response to the accusations.
As one of the most closely watched political proceedings in recent Philippine history, the impeachment trial continues to draw national attention, with each day of testimony shedding new light on the transactions and financial practices now under scrutiny before the Senate impeachment court.