VICE President Sara Duterte, along with two other officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the former head of the Vice Presidential Security Protection Group (VPSPG), are liable for the disbursement of nearly P450 million worth of confidential funds which was disallowed by the state auditors over irregularities.
During the resumption of the Duterte’s impeachment trial on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, Commission on Audit’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO) auditor Xylene del Campo said P73 million out of the P125 million in confidential funds of the OVP in December 2022 were disallowed due to insufficient supporting documentary evidence.
“Wala po itong mga resibo. Ang mga persons po na liable or responsible is, first po, the head of agency, Vice President Sara Duterte, the special disbursing officer, si Ms. Gina Acosta, at ang chief accountant po, na si Ms. Julieta Villadelrey,” del Campo said.
The witness said the OVP submitted evidentiary documents for the disbursement of its December 2022 confidential funds which date are days before the budget was actually released.
She said it included spendings for youth campaigns on patriotism activity, Christmas parties and other activities and partners appreciation night dated December 15, 13 and 17.
“These activities from December 13 to 18 are not covered by the period of utilization as stated in OVP’s accomplishment report,” she added.
The accomplishment report submitted by the OVP to the COA-ICFO covers utilization of the confidential funds from December 21 to 31, 2022.
The disallowed spending for December 2022 of the OVP includes P10 million for reward payment; P34.857 million for payment of reward through various goods; P24.93 million for payment of reward through medicines and P3.5 million for payment for tables, chairs, desktop computers and printers.
Del Campo said the spendings are not compliant with the Joint Circular governing use of confidential funds.
Meanwhile, she said Duterte, Acosta, Villadelrey and former VPSPG head Colonel Raymund Lachica were liable for the P375 in confidential funds of the OVP during the first three quarters of 2023.
Del Campo said the P375 expenditures was disallowed after the admission made by Acosta in a House hearing that she handed over the cash to Lachica which is a violation of the guidelines on the use of confidential funds that “under no circumstance shall it be used for liquidation of the previous cash advance or be transferred from one accountable officer to another.”
Del Campo said the OVP submitted a total of 2,668 acknowledgment receipts as part of their evidentiary documents to support the disbursement of its confidential funds for December 2022 until the third quarter of 2023.
She said the agency requires the submission of official receipts or sales invoice in order for them to ascertain that the funds were spent accordingly.
Among the recipients of the OVP’s confidential funds based on the acknowledgement receipts it submitted are:
*Ralph Jason Bacon for the payment of P150,000 for the purchase of information
*Anne Ongpauco for the payment of P50,000 for the purchase of information
*Heart Santiago for the payment of P250,000 for the purchase of rental supplies, materials and equipment for confidential operations
*Feonna Villegas for the payment of P500,000 for the purchase of rental supplies, materials and equipment for confidential operations
*Beth Revilla for the payment of P50,000 for the purchase of information
*Clarisse Hontiveros for the payment of P500,000 for the purchase of rental supplies, materials and equipment for confidential operations
*Diane Maple Lapid for the payment of P150,000 for the purchase of rental supplies, materials and equipment for confidential operations
*Pia Piatos Lim for the payment of P140,000 for the purchase of information
Also among the recipients of funds were Honeylet Camille Sy, Jay Kamote, Salah Casim, Jose Diokno Jr., Beverly Claire Pampano, Denise Tanya Escudero, Xiaomi Ocho, Miggy Mango, Matthew Keso, and Kristine Applegate. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)