THE COMMISSION on Audit (CoA) has flagged the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) confidential and intelligence fund (CIF) expenditures in 2022, citing lack of documents supporting the spending.
State auditors said they cannot account P73.3 million spending of the P125 million secret fund in 2022 as the office of Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio did not provide “documents evidencing the success of information gathering and surveillance activities.”
“The notice of disallowance means that the expenditure is not allowed because it is either irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, or unconscionable,” CoA Assistant Commissioner Alexander B. Juliano told congressmen.
The OVP reportedly spent P125 million within 11 days back in 2022, generating controversy among the public.
Congressmen zeroed in on Ms. Duterte-Carpio’s 2022 CIF spending during the OVP’s budget briefing at the House of Representatives.
“The CoA disallowed P73 million of the P125 million confidential funds used by the OVP in 2022,” Party-list Rep. France L. Castro said. “This is 58.63% of the P125 million.”
Ms. Duterte-Carpio did not answer Ms. Castro’s question, asserting the 2025 OVP budget request did not include CIF funds. “This is a hearing of the budget of 2025, where’s the confidential funds here?” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
