Person authorizing OVP, DepEd confidential funds spending sought

MANILA, Philippines — The integral issue in the confidential funds controversy surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte is the identity of the person who authorized the unusually large cash withdrawals, and who ultimately decided how the money was spent, according to Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega.

He said the participation of several officials and personnel in handling confidential funds demonstrates the need to establish command responsibility, and it is important to know who was behind the spending of money.

“The issue is not merely about who encashed the check. The more important question is: who gave the order and who decided how the people’s money would be spent? Was the withdrawal truly rushed?” he said.

Ortega said the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA), particularly its issuance of notices of disallowance on confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Department of Education (DepEd), should not be dismissed as mere technical matters as the whole issue boils down to accountability.

He said the controversy ultimately hinges on government’s ability to demonstrate that confidential funds were used for legitimate public purposes, and tagging the funds as “confidential” or using aliases, acknowledgment receipts, liquidation documents does not excuse the need to prove that it was properly used.

“Having documented on paper is not enough. There must be actual operations, real beneficiaries, and genuine public benefits. It must be proven that there are real people… and tangible results, and that no funds have gone missing,” he said.

For his part, impeachment adviser and prosecution spokesman Robert Ace Barbers said the central issue before the impeachment court is whether the confidential funds were supported by legitimate intelligence operations and produced a verifiable public benefit.

Like Ortega, Barbers said liquidation documents alone do not automatically establish that public funds were lawfully and properly spent, pointing out that confidentiality cannot be invoked to avoid accountability.

COA auditors to take stand

Former COA state auditor Roderick Wamil and incumbent Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office supervising auditor Celine May del Campo are expected to testify this week before the Senate impeachment court on the first article of impeachment, which accused Duterte of misusing P612.5 million worth of confidential funds in the OVP and DepEd.

They are expected to discuss the audit process for confidential funds, standards used in reviewing liquidation documents and findings that led to the issuance of a notice of disallowance covering P448 million in confidential funds released to the OVP in 2023.

They are also expected to discuss COA’s decision directing the return of P73.287 million in confidential funds released to the OVP in 2022.

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