MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Audit (COA) has disallowed P73 million worth of confidential funds in the 2022 budget of the Office of the Vice President (OVP). State auditors submitted this finding to the House committee on appropriations, which was cited by House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro during the deliberations of the 2025 proposed budget of the OVP on Tuesday, August 27. LOOK: Notice of disallowance by the Commission on Audit issued to Sara Duterte’s Office of the Vice President over its disbursement of confidential funds in 2022.
| via @newsdwight pic.twitter.com/PMg2mS2gFS — Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) August 27, 2024 “I have here a report about the notice of disallowance.
According to the notice of disallowance, the COA has disallowed P73 million out of P125 million confidential funds used by the OVP in 2022. So, this is 58.63% of the P125 million.
So, can you confirm, Vice President?” Castro asked. Instead of giving a direct answer, Duterte asked House appropriations panel senior vice chairperson Stella Quimbo to allow her to give a “snide comment” against Castro. Quimbo was the presiding officer of the House budget deliberations.
“I don’t recall hearing a snide comment, madam Vice President. A snide comment is a matter of judgment,” Quimbo said. Castro repeated her question, “So madam chair, can you confirm?” “Yes,” Duterte said, and then she proceeded with bringing up Castro’s child abuse case.
In July, a Tagum City cou.