By Ellson Quismorio
Lawmakers were left puzzled Monday, August 17, after Vice President Sara Duterte’s aide Gina Acosta appeared to struggle with Filipino during her testimony in the Senate impeachment trial, despite records showing she had previously spoken the language with ease.
House prosecutor Rep. Ysabel Maria Zamora noted the contrast after Senator‑judge Erwin Tulfo raised the issue during Acosta’s testimony as a hostile witness.
Zamora recalled that in a 2024 House inquiry, Acosta readily answered questions in Filipino, English, and Visayan.
“We were wondering about the difficulty earlier,” Zamora said, adding: “Noong hearing sa Congress noon ay nakakaintindi naman siya ng mga tanong in English, Filipino. And she would answer in English, Filipino, and Visaya na halo.”
Tulfo also questioned why Acosta repeatedly responded in Cebuano during the trial, citing transcripts from her Nov. 25, 2024 House testimony where she gave clear answers in Filipino.
“Hindi ko po maintindihan bakit parang dito hirap na hirap po siyang mag‑Tagalog, when in fact sa Congress po nung November, Tagalog nga po sagot niya,” Tulfo said.
House impeachment adviser Robert Ace Barbers gave Acosta the benefit of the doubt, suggesting she may have been nervous in the high‑stakes setting.
“Marunong naman siya mag‑Tagalog eh… So siguro medyo kinabahan lang. We will give her that benefit of the doubt,” Barbers said.
Still, officials admitted they were baffled by Acosta’s sudden difficulty, given her prior ability to switch between languages.
Acosta remains an official at the Office of the Vice President, having previously served as special disbursing officer who handled ₱500 million in confidential funds in 2022 and 2023.
