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Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File

Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of The Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024, after skipping on the same day a National Bureau of Investigation probe on her remarks of having  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assassinated should she be killed. Duterte stood firm that she would not present herself before the NBI saying that its inquiry was “unfair.” Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Vice president-Sara Duterte-Presscon

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/176473742876520241211-vpsd-presscon-MT-21.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File"/>Vice President Sara Duterte speaks to the media at the Office of the Vice President in Mandaluyong City on December 11, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA (UPDATED) — The P3.9-million worth of “laptops” listed in the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) annual audit report for 2024 actually refers to donated photocopiers and a desktop computer that were entered incorrectly due to an “oversight in description.” Based on the Commission on Audit’s (COA) notes to financial statements for the OVP, the office acquired 13 units of laptops valued at P3.916 million. This would mean that each unit costs around P301,230. But in a message to ABS-CBN News, the OVP said this was due to a lapse made by a member of its staff. The amount comprises the 12 donated photocopying machines at P3.824 million — as valued by the donor — and a desktop computer bought at P92,000, which is used by the office for video edits, according to the office. “The detailed transactions, journal vouchers were submitted to COA as well, but OVP staff made an error in the summary provided to COA,” the OVP told ABS-CBN News in a text message. “The recommended adjustment was only for the amount of the photocopiers, but to be recorded in 2025 since accounting books was already finalized for 2024. The description in that particular summary was overlooked,” it added. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/12/2/coa-ovp-grants-p3-4-m-to-livelihood-beneficiaries-amid-absence-of-feasibility-viability-1229">RELATED: COA: OVP grants P3.4-M to livelihood beneficiaries amid ‘absence of feasibility, viability’ in project proposals</a></div>The OVP said the photocopiers were actually leased since 2021 and 2022 for use by different divisions in their headquarters. The OVP said the photocopiers were later donated to them when the lease contract expired. “This matter also underwent COA audit. COA only recommended the adjustment of the recorded cost of the donated photocopiers, and the correction has already been made as an adjusting entry in the FY 2025 book of accounts,” the OVP said. “No findings indicated on the said purchases mentioned,” it added. Meanwhile, among the additional acquisitions that the OVP had in 2024 were seven units of CCTV systems, amounting to P1.48 million or roughly around P212,000 each.The OVP said these were for the Satellite, Extension Offices, Libreng Sakay buses as supposedly recommended by its security team, “and part of safeguarding of assets as required by COA.”“All went through the proper modes of procurement, and there were no COA findings,” said the OVP. <div> </div><div>OVP TO CORRECT VALUE OF DONATED PHOTOCOPIERS</div> State auditors also flagged the OVP for the donated photocopying machines. The COA said that, based on records, the 12 units of the photocopying machines were received from a private entity on Feb. 8, 2024, which, according to the deed of donation, amounted to P3.824 million. This was supposedly the basis for recording the machines in the books of accounts when it was donated.Based on the report, eight units cost P258,000 each, while the remaining four were estimated to cost around P440,000 each. “Inquiry with the sales agent of the supplier revealed that the donated equipment was no longer available in the market but the amount indicated in the deed of donation which was the cost recorded in the books of accounts was the suggested retail price of brand-new equipment; thus, costs of the donated equipment were not properly measured at the date of acquisition,” the report read. “The equipment which were being leased to the OVP for 20 months were donated to them; thus, it should be recorded at depreciated amount instead of the original acquisition cost,” it added. When the audit team computed the equipment value at the time of donation “based on the carrying value at the time,” the total acquisition cost amounted to P3.824 million. “Considering the depreciated cost for 20 months amounting to P1,210,933.33, the cost of the equipment should be P2,613,066.67 at the time of donation; thus resulting in the overstatement of Information and Communication Technology Equipment and Donations in Kind accounts both by P1,210,933.33,” state auditors said. The OVP told state auditors on April 11 that it was prepared to correct the recorded amount of the donated equipment. “Also, the deed of donation template was revised to specifically indicate the amount at equivalent value or fair market value and the Heads of Accounting Division and GSD were reminded to comply with Sections 5 and 11, Chapter 10, Volume I of the [Government Accounting Manual] for [National Government Agencies],” the report read.<div> </div><div>SECURITY PERSONNEL </div>In the report, state auditors noted that the OVP has 335 personnel under the Vice Presidential Security Group in 2024.The VPSPG was formed in 2022 as a dedicated unit focused on securing the Vice President and her family. It had 433 personnel that year, according to a previous COA report.The VPSPG has since been <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/5/afp-vp-duterte-s-security-absorbed-into-security-and-protection-group-1638">reorganized as part of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Security and Protection Group</a> to &quot;unify security and protection operations.&quot; COA said the security personnel are part of Vice President Sara Duterte’s foreign and local trips. Motorcycle were also donated in 2024, amounting to P5.108 million, based on the report. Some were donated to two schools, amounting to P44,295 each unit.

The P3.9-million worth of “laptops” listed at the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) annual audit report for 2024 were actually donated photocopiers and a desktop computer, which happened following an “oversight in description.”

The P3.9-million worth of “laptops” listed at the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) annual audit report for 2024 were actually donated photocopiers and a desktop computer, which happened following an “oversight in description.”

P3.9-M 'laptops' in COA report are donated photocopiers staff listed incorrectly — OVP

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P3.9-M 'laptops' in COA report are donated photocopiers staff listed incorrectly — OVP

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published Dec 03, 2025 01:25 PM PHT

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Updated Dec 03, 2025 02:41 PM PHT

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Commission on Audit

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Summary Error

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