New COA notice orders Sara Duterte to return P375-M OVP confidential funds for 2023

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Sara Duterte to return P375 million in confidential funds for 2023 due to numerous violations of the joint circular governing such expenses.

The notice of disallowance dated March 31, but released by House justice committee member Terry Ridon to the media on Monday, April 20, holds Duterte liable for the disbursement of the funds, alongside special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, chief accountant Julieta Villadelrey, and Duterte’s security head Raymund Dante Lachica.

State auditors flagged the transfer of the cash advances from Acosta to Lachica, contrary to the provision of Joint Circular No. 2015-01 that explicitly prohibits it.

The following amounts in the P375 million were also disallowed for the following reasons:

• P199 million: Supported only by acknowledgment receipts, lacking sales invoices or official receipts
• P62 million in reward payments: Flagged because the OVP didn’t provide documentation to prove the success of information-gathering or surveillance activities
• P300,000: Cash advance utilized for reimbursement of expenses

The OVP has six months or 180 days from the receipt of the order to contest the ruling.

The COA order is on top of the P73 million in confidential expenses of the OVP that were disallowed by state auditors for fiscal year 2022.

COA has already denied the OVP’s appeal, which makes that order final and executory, although Duterte can still try to seek relief from the Supreme Court.

“This latest disallowance is not an isolated finding. It demonstrates a continuing pattern of confidential fund misuse marked by the same fundamental defect: the repeated failure to justify the expenditures with sufficient legal, factual, and documentary basis,” Ridon said.

Duterte is currently facing impeachment proceedings at the House justice committee, partly based on her alleged misuse of public funds. – Rappler.com