Sara Duterte’s OVP lacked confidential fund receipts, auditor says

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MANILA — The Office of the Vice President under Vice President Sara Duterte did not submit official receipts or sales invoices for goods bought with confidential funds, including tables, chairs, desktop computers and printers, a Commission on Audit witness testified Wednesday.

Xylene Mae del Campo of COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office said businesses selling office supplies and other commercial goods are not confidential entities.

She said invoices are required to establish that the reported purchases occurred.

“‘Pag bumibili tayo ng supplies, ng food, ng medicine, standard procedure po ‘yung merong resibo na matatanggap from the establishment kung saan po natin binili itong mga supplies, food and medicine,” Del Campo told the Senate impeachment court when questioned by Presiding Officer Francis “Chiz” Escudero.

Escudero asked whether receipts or invoices were required under Joint Circular No. 2015-01 to support purchases of food, medicine and other supplies.

“So, yung invoice o resibo ng pagkain, medical supplies, ng supplies, kailangan may resibo. ‘Yan ang interpretasyon mo ng Joint Circular,” Escudero said.

“Opo, para ma-ascertain namin na talagang ginamit yun for purchases of supplies, food, and medicines po,” Del Campo replied.

“And this is the same standard you’re applying to other government agencies, not only the OVP and the DepEd (Department of Education)?” Escudero asked.

Del Campo confirmed that COA applies the same documentation requirement to all government agencies.

The OVP defended its handling of the transactions in a March 13, 2024, letter signed by Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez.

The office said it was “unnecessary to request for invoices or official receipts as evidence of payments due to the confidential nature of surveillance and monitoring activities.”

Del Campo said that explanation did not remove the need to document purchases of commercial goods.

“Pero po kasi, ito po ay nagpa-pertain sa purchases. So, mas sufficient po sa amin kung maipapakita yung sales invoice at official receipts po,” Del Campo said. “Resibo lang po talaga para mapatunayan namin na talagang binili yun for tables and chairs.”

Del Campo issued notices of disallowance after auditing the OVP’s use of PHP 125 million in confidential funds.

The OVP reported spending the money within 11 days in late December 2022, with transactions dated from Dec. 20 through Dec. 31, including holidays.

Reported expenditures included about PHP 34.9 million for “various goods” as reward payments, PHP 24.9 million for “medicines” as reward payments and PHP 11.8 million for purchased supplies.

Other expenditures included PHP 3 million for desktop computers and printers, PHP 500,000 for tables and chairs, and PHP 10 million for van rentals and trucking services.

Joint Circular No. 2015-01, issued in 2015, sets the government’s rules for the release, use, reporting and audit of confidential and intelligence funds.

A notice of disallowance is an audit decision rejecting all or part of an expenditure deemed illegal, irregular or improper.

Under COA rules, an affected party may appeal a notice of disallowance to the agency’s supervising audit director.

#DailyGuardian