COA Upholds Disallowance of Vice President Duterte’s P73 Million Confidential Spending
The Commission on Audit has permanently rejected the Office of the Vice President’s request to overturn a disallowance of roughly P73 million in confidential expenditures under Vice President Sara Duterte.
The Commission on Audit issued a final resolution confirming the disallowance of the Office of the Vice President’s confidential fund expenditures, rejecting the motion for reconsideration submitted by Vice President Sara Duterte, Special Disbursing Officer Gina F. Acosta, and Chief Accountant Julieta L. Villadelrey. The audit covered confidential spending from late December 2022, amounting to roughly P73 million, which included rewards and purchases of furniture and computer equipment.
COA classified the expenses as illegal, irregular, unnecessary, excessive, or extravagant. The decision, dated April 10, 2026, upholds the earlier notice of disallowance issued in August 2024. These findings are part of the broader set of accusations against Duterte in her impeachment trial, where the House prosecution has finished presenting evidence on this article and is now focusing on alleged unexplained wealth. The outcome reinforces scrutiny over the use of public funds by high-level officials.
Why it matters
It highlights possible misuse of public money by a top elected official during an impeachment process.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps report COA’s final disallowance of the OVP’s P73 million confidential fund, but left-leaning coverage emphasizes the spending as illegal, irregular and tied to impeachment accusations, while centrist coverage stresses procedural non-compliance and quotes COA’s harsh description of the expenses as a “farce.”
LEFT
Exposes illegal and excessive confidential spending by the Vice President’s office as part of broader impeachment accusations
CENTER
Highlights COA’s decisive ruling on procedural violations and its scathing criticism of the OVP’s handling of the funds
The left emphasises
- COA classified the expenses as illegal, irregular, unnecessary, excessive, or extravagant
- the disallowance is linked to accusations against Duterte in her impeachment trial
- the final resolution upholds the earlier notice of disallowance
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