Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte spent her office’s confidential funds on intelligence operations for Christmas parties, tree-planting activities, and other events, as revealed in documents she submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office to justify the expenses.
State auditor Xylene Del Campo told the Impeachment Court that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) submitted a list of events as evidence of the success of their intelligence gathering operations.
Based on documents presented by the prosecution panel, some activities took place from Dec. 13 to Dec. 22, such as:
+Christmas activities
+tree-planting activities
+distribution of wheelchairs
+appreciation events with the Department of Education
+consultation meetings and catering
+’pasalamat’ meetings
However, Del Campo said some events took place even before the office received confidential funds. The OVP disbursed the money in 11 days, or from Dec. 21 to 31, 2022.
Del Campo said the OVP received its cash advance beginning Dec. 21, 2022.
“Based po sa document na ‘to, hindi po napakita dito na yung proof of success of the info gathering at may activities na from December 13, 15, 17, 18 na hindi sakop ng period of utilization ng cash advance which is for December 21 to 31, 2022,” Del Campo said.
[Translation: Based on this document, there was no sufficient proof of success to support the info gathering and there were activities from December 13, 15, 17, 18 not covered by the period of utilization of cash advance which is for December 21 to 31, 2022.]
She also said these were not confidential operations based on guidelines.
Other documents showed that the OVP spent ₱3.5 million for “tables, chairs, desktop computers and printers” from the confidential fund budget without specifying the purpose for the purchase.
Del Campo said this was against Joint Circular 2015-01, which governs the use of confidential funds.
She said these issues prompted her to draft a notice of disallowance against the OVP for ₱73.2 million in 2022. The auditor said Duterte was the accountable officer as she is the head of the agency and approved the transactions.
For 2023, the OVP made a similar submission: a list of events to prove the success of operations to justify confidential fund spending.
Like the events in 2022, the funds were used to secure and conduct surveillance on events which Duterte attended personally around the country, including:
+rice distribution to fire victims
+TUPAD payouts
+medical missions
+hospital visits
The COA also issued a notice of disallowance in 2023, asking the OVP to return ₱375 million in confidential funds.
Del Campo said this stemmed from OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta’s testimony at the House of Representatives, where she said Duterte ordered the cash advance be given to her head of security, Col. Raymund Lachica.
The auditor said this was against Joint Circular 2015-01, the reason Lachica was included as an accountable officer.
In a post-trial briefing, Duterte’s lawyer Michael Poa was asked about the use of funds for events like Christmas parties and tree planting.
“May tanong din kanina ang presiding officer [Chiz Escudero] kung ang pondo ba ay ginamit doon sa event mismo or doon sa operations para maging successful or secure yung event at nasagot naman yung testigo,” Poa said.
“Ang pagkakaintindi niya is ginamit yun–not for those events–kumbaga hindi yung confidential funds yung ginamit para sa event na yon pero for those activities to maintain…to secure those events,” he added.
[Translation: Escudero asked a question earlier if these funds were used for the events themselves or for operations to ensure the success of those events. The witness answered it. To her understanding these were not used for the events themselves but to secure the events.]
