Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17761643033571776164301528.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference, February 7, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News "/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Vice President Sara Duterte holds a press conference, February 7, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA (<strong>UPDATED</strong>) -- Vice President Sara Duterte and other officials are obligated to return P73,287,000 after the Commission on Audit denied a petition for review on the notice of disallowance concerning the amount, according to Gloria Camora of COA&#x27;s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office.</p><p>Camora cited non-compliance of a joint circular in denying the petition from Duterte, OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta, and OVP Chief Accountant Julieta Villadelray.</p><p>&quot;The petition for review treated as appeal of Ms. Sara Z. Duterte, Vice President, Ms. Gina Acosta, Special Disbursing Officer, and Ms. Julieta L. Villadelray, Chief Accountant, Office of the Vice President, is hereby denied. Accordingly, Commission on Audit, Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office Notice of Disallowance No. 2024-002-100 for 2022, dated August 8, 2024 on the confidential expenses of the OVP for the period from December 21 to 31, 2022 in the amount of P73,287,000 is affirmed,&quot; Camora said on Tuesday during the House justice committee&#x27;s hearing on impeachment complaints against Duterte.</p><p>&quot;What is required under the joint circular is a documentary evidence of payment,&quot; Camora said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/4/14/-wait-madriaga-claims-he-disposed-of-ovp-s-p125-m-confidential-funds-in-less-than-24-hours-1424">Madriaga claims he &#x27;disposed&#x27; of OVP&#x27;s P125-M confidential funds &#x27;in less than 24 hours&#x27;</a></div><p>House Committee on Justice Chairperson Gerville Luistro said the requirement for return would also include P375 million worth of OVP confidential funds from three quarters of 2023 also disallowed by COA.</p><p>&quot;So it&#x27;s clear that the consequence of the denial of the appeal and the issuance of the corresponding notices of disallowance is the obligation to restitute– in Filipino, ibalik ang pera. That is P73 million for the 2022 fourth quarter and P375 million for the three quarters of 2023,&quot; Luistro said.</p><p>Camora added that the OVP can resort to a Supreme Court petition in order to appeal against the obligation for return of the funds.</p><p>The committee will wait for COA&#x27;s submission of the official copy of the decision denying the appeal, as well as the notices of disallowance, according to Luistro.</p><p>&quot;We will be waiting for the submission of the official copy of both the decision denying the appeal and the notices of disallowance. We haven&#x27;t received an official copy of these documents,&quot; Luistro said.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/9/3/vp-duterte-says-no-misuse-of-ovp-confidential-funds-1934">VP Duterte says no misuse of OVP confidential funds</a></div><p>COA, in August last year, issued the notice of disallowance on the OVP&#x27;s spending of some P73,287,000 out of P125 million confidential funds.</p><p>Based on COA&#x27;s notice of disallowance, P69.7 million were disallowed due to the non-submission of documents evidencing the success of information gathering or surveillance activities to support the acknowledgment receipts for payments of rewards in cash, various goods and medicines. </p><p>The remaining P3.5 million were disallowed because they were payments for tables, chairs, desktop computers and printers, but there was no specification that they were intended for confidential operations/activities.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>WATCH: </strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UQXmJXuadjQ?si=a4pFFCyK-sgFW3h0" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>The denial of the appeal means the vice president's office is obliged to return the money spent in December 2022.</p>

The denial of the appeal means the vice president's office is obliged to return the money spent in December 2022.

Duterte, others obligated to return over P73M confidential funds after petition denied – COA

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Duterte, others obligated to return over P73M confidential funds after petition denied – COA

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 14, 2026 07:05 PM PHT

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Updated April 14, 2026 08:52 PM PHT

Read More:

impeachment

vice president

Sara Duterte

COA

confidential funds

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