Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon defended the Commission on Audit (COA) over its decision to uphold the disallowance of ₱73 million in confidential funds spent by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in December 2022, stressing that the move followed due process and was not politically motivated.
The COA ruling became a central issue during Tuesday’s House Committee on Justice hearing on the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte.
COA Auditor Gloria Camora told lawmakers that the agency denied the OVP’s appeal, affirming the disallowance and directing concerned officials to return ₱73.28 million.
Ridon rejected claims that the audit findings amounted to political harassment, citing the length and depth of the review process:
“If this [was] political, it would have been rushed. Instead, it took three years. That is not harassment—that is due process,” Ridon said.
“Hindi ito minadali. Dumaan ito sa audit, sa paliwanag ng ahensya, sa review, at sa proseso ng apela. Lahat ng panig ay nabigyan ng pagkakataong sumagot.”
He explained that a notice of disallowance is issued only after thorough verification and documentation.
“It is not speculation—it is based on records. And when such findings persist after due process, they raise serious questions that cannot be ignored,” he added.
While some lawmakers backing the impeachment cited the COA findings as key evidence, Ridon clarified that the House proceedings are not meant to determine guilt.
“This is about probable cause, not conviction. The purpose is to allow the evidence—including COA findings—to be examined in the proper forum,” he said.
Vice President Duterte is facing allegations tied to the alleged misuse of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds.
The House Committee on Justice continues its evaluation to determine whether sufficient grounds exist to elevate the case to a Senate trial.