August 25, 2026

The parties stipulated that Ortoño was the OVP Assistant Secretary and Assistant Chief of Staff, held salary grade 29, had a coterminous appointment, and occupied a position of trust and confidence. The court then declared him a hostile witness and permitted leading but not misleading questions.

Ortoño confirmed familiarity with four Land Bank checks marked P-I-28-A through P-I-28-D, testified that he signed them as part of his duties, and said he accompanied special disbursing officer Gina F. Acosta when the checks were encashed. He also said the Vice President signed the office order that made him a signatory.

He testified that he received COA audit observation memoranda, consulted the special disbursing officer and security officer for OVP replies, and saw the liquidation and accomplishment reports. He also said he had no personal knowledge of the actual confidential-fund spending and submitted sealed protective-intelligence reports to COA without reading them.

Referring to the liquidation and accomplishment reports, Ortoño confirmed that the first report reflected ₱125 million spent by December 31, 2022, that December 21 through December 31 was an 11-day period, and that the first three reports used the same six categories and ₱125 million totals. He could not confirm that the later missing medical-and-food-aid line had been redistributed because he did not prepare the report.

On the supporting records, Ortoño said the medical-and-food-aid payments were described to him as direct payments to informants or agents supported by acknowledgement receipts rather than official receipts. He also said he had no vehicle-rental contract and no personal knowledge of the location of computers, printers, tables, chairs, and other supplies charged to confidential activities.

The examination compared certifications, OVP replies, and the reported purposes of the funds. Ortoño confirmed that the certifications did not specify amounts, recipients, or spending locations; that later OVP explanations referred to surveillance and exploratory talks without documented definitive agreements; and that several explanations had been given for the same fund.

Ortoño testified that a ₱150,000 personal advance followed an emergency request relayed by Gina F. Acosta from Colonel Raymond Dante Lachica, that he was not reimbursed, and that the advance did not appear in OVP records. In closing questions, he said that based on his understanding and knowledge the Vice President knew about the confidential activities and their implementation, while he lacked personal knowledge about whether Acosta's or Lachica's actions were all known to or authorized by her.

The court completed direct examination without beginning defense cross-examination and directed that cross, redirect, recross, and senator-judge questions continue on August 26, after which the trial was adjourned to 10:00 a.m.