Vice President Sara Duterte addresses the media on November 26, 2024, regarding her remarks about President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Speaker Martin Romualdez. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/file

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Office of the Vice President used a total of P375 million in confidential expenses for 2023, the Commission on Audit (COA) said in its report.

The OVP’s Confidential, Intelligence and Extraordinary Expenses for 2023 was at P375,483,600. Of this amount, Confidential Expenses are at P375,000,000, while Extraordinary and Miscellaneous Expenses amounted to P483,600.

This is three times the amount of OVP’s confidential expenses in 2022, which was at P125,000,000.

The confidential expenses were listed under Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), which also include travelling expenses, expenses for training and scholarship, supplies and materials, awards and prizes, professional services, repairs and maintenance, and other expenses.

According to the COA report, “confidential expenses pertains to the expenses for the safe implementation of various projects and activities under the Good Governance Program/Socio-economic Program Delivery, and the conduct of official engagements and functional representation in international and domestic events as instructed by the President.”

The OVP spent a total of P1,980,047,155.04 in MOOE in 2023, or over P1.2 billion more than the office’s MOOE of P724,131,015.28 in 2022.

INCREASE IN TRAVEL EXPENSES

The OVP also saw an increase in its travel expenses in 2023.

Based on the OVP's financial statement in the COA annual audit report, travelling expenses stood at P42,579,506.92 last year. This figure is two times higher than the P20.1 million the agency reported in 2022.

The breakdown showed a bulk of the travel expenses were for local trips at P31.43 million, while P11.15 million was spent on foreign travel in 2023.

In 2022, P18.62 million was shelled out for local trips and P1.5 million for foreign travel. Meanwhile for 2021, the OVP's travelling expenses was at P10.7 million.

According to COA, local expenses cover transportation and other travel expenses of the Vice President and her immediate staff, Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) and personnel in the Special Projects Division, Satellite Offices Disaster Operations Center and other divisions.

Foreign expenses include daily allowance and other travel expenses for official foreign engagements and events attended by the Vice President, VPSPG and other official members of the delegation.

During the November 5 hearing of the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing brought up the notable increase in travel expenses of the OVP for 2024.

The House panel is looking into the confidential fund spending of the OVP and Department of Education, under then Secretary VP Sara Duterte.

Suansing mentioned the P20.1 million for 2022 also stated in the COA report and the P10.7 million spent in 2021.

In her presentation, the congresswoman said P62.5 million was allotted in the 2024 General Appropriations Act for travelling expenses and the same amount was proposed in the 2025 National Expenditure Program.

"Makikita po natin mister chair, parang ang taas? Bigla pong tumaas yung traveling expenses ng OVP bawat taon," Suansing said. (1:55 pm)

COA said they have documentary requirements to validate the travel expenses.

Duterte opened six satellite offices in July 2022, shortly after she assumed office, to make services more accessible to Filipinos.

OVP satellite offices provide medical, burial, calamity and other assistance to beneficiaries.

The Vice President and her personnel were not present at the said hearing to answer Suansing's questions on the increase in spending.

"Maganda din po kasi sana kung meron sana representante from the Office of the Vice President. Maganda sana natin maitanong kung bakit kinailangan nila ng ganito kalaking gastusin na travelling expenses," Suansing said.

Suansing asked COA the reason behind what she described as a "substantial jump."

COA Government Audit Sector Audit Team Leader Fahad Bin Abdulmalik Tomawis cited the opening of satellite offices of the OVP.

"Since ang OVP noong 2023, nag-full blast sila kasi nagkaroon po ng expansion which is yung satellite offices also disaster operations nila. Lahat po ng travel expenses related to the satellite offices kaya po dumami yung, lumaki po yung amount of expenses pertaining sa travel expenses," he explained. (1:57 pm)

Tomawis said the travel expenses of satellite offices are part of these amounts.

"Ano po ba yung necessity ng satellite offices na yun kung napakalaki po ng epekto noon doon sa mga expenses?" Suansing asked.

The Nueva Ecija congresswoman also pointed out increases in OVP expenses for supplies and materials, professional services, among others.

COA also noted deficiencies in the procurement process in the OVP, deficiencies in the distribution of welfare goods, incomplete guidelines and procedures for PagbaBAGO Campaign, which was the OVP’s program, in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd), that aims to provide school bags, learning materials and dental kits to learners in remote and economically challenged communities.

COA likewise the noted low budget utilization of the Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day (MTD) program, which had a budget allocation of P150,000,000. For 2023, only P600,000 or 0.40 percent of the budget was utilized, according to COA. This was supposedly due to the "unforeseen difficulties in the implementation of the program".

The House Committee on Good Government is investigating the alleged misuse of the confidential funds of the OVP and Department of Education, under the leadership of then Vice President Sara Duterte.

Duterte appeared twice before the House panel: the first hearing on September 18 and the recent one on November 25.

In the previous hearing, she exited early to attend to OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, who fell ill after facing lawmakers and was rushed to the hospital.

The Vice President assured the House panel she will be present at the next hearing.

Duterte has previously denied misuse of her agencies' confidential funds.

Last year, Rep. Stella Quimbo revealed the OVP spents its P125 million confidential funds for 2022 in just 11 days.

OVP chief of staff confirms letter asking COA to not submit documents on confidential funds audit

OVP exec explains where P125-M confidential funds were used

OVP spent 2022 confidential funds in 11 days, says lawmaker; COA seeks more explanation