Senator Erwin Tulfo challenges witness Gina Acosta in impeachment trial

During an impeachment trial on August 17, 2026, Senator Erwin Tulfo challenged the testimony of Gina Acosta, a former special disbursing officer for Vice President Sara Duterte. Acosta, who was declared a hostile witness, frequently responded in her native Visayan dialect, necessitating translations during questioning by private prosecutor Amando Ligutan.

Tulfo accused Acosta of being deceptive, noting that she appeared to struggle with English and Tagalog during the current proceedings despite previous testimony in the House of Representatives in November 2024. Citing transcripts from those congressional hearings, Tulfo demonstrated that Acosta had previously answered questions fluently in both English and Tagalog.

Tulfo urged Presiding Officer Senator Francis Escudero to compel Acosta to speak in Tagalog to ensure the transparency of the proceedings, stating, “Tama na po itong pangloloko sa atin,” which translates to “Stop this deception of us.”