Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Representative Leila de Lima on Tuesday said disinformation campaigns will not protect Vice President Sara Duterte from a Commission on Audit (COA) directive ordering the return of ₱448 million in misused confidential funds.
De Lima stressed that the COA ruling was based on a detailed review of OVP financial records from 2022 and 2023, not speculation.
“Aabot sa ₱448 milyon ang ipinasosoli ng COA kina VP Sara dahil sa nakitang iregularidad… Hindi ito mga alegasyon lang, kundi desisyon na batay sa nasuring mga aktuwal na dokumento ng COA,” she said.
Audit Findings
- ₱73 million disallowed from the ₱125 million confidential funds spent in just 11 days in December 2022.
- ₱375 million disallowed from confidential expenses between February and September 2023.
De Lima criticized the OVP’s liquidation documents, which previously drew scrutiny for questionable entries, including the use of names like “Mary Grace Piattos.”
“Pera ito ng taumbayan na hindi pwedeng lustayin lang ng ilang oras o ilang araw, o ipamigay lang kay ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ at sa iba pang imbentong pangalan,” she said.
She emphasized that the seriousness of the audit findings cannot be buried under fake news, diversionary narratives, or refusal to address the issue directly.