The Commission on Audit (COA) has disclosed that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent a total of P375 million in confidential expenses for 2023, triple the amount allocated in 2022. This expense was part of the OVP’s Confidential, Intelligence, and Extraordinary Expenses budget, which reached P375,483,600.
According to an ABS-CBN News report, the confidential fund of P375 million was recorded under Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE), which also included costs for travel, training, supplies, and other operational needs. The OVP’s overall MOOE for 2023 stood at P1.98 billion, significantly higher than the P724 million recorded in 2022.
Travel expenses also saw a steep rise, doubling to P42.57 million in 2023 compared to P20.1 million in 2022. Of this, P31.43 million was spent on local trips and P11.15 million on foreign travel. COA attributed the increase to the operational requirements of six OVP satellite offices established in July 2022, aimed at providing easier access to medical, burial, and calamity assistance.
During a recent House Committee on Good Government hearing, Nueva Ecija Rep. Mikaela Suansing raised concerns over the surge in spending, describing it as a “substantial jump.” Suansing questioned the necessity of the satellite offices given their impact on expenses, while COA audit team leader Fahad Bin Abdulmalik Tomawis cited these offices’ travel-related activities as a major factor.
The committee is currently investigating the alleged misuse of the OVP’s confidential funds and other discrepancies noted by COA, including deficiencies in procurement and underutilization of the Mag Negosyo Ta ‘Day program. Despite these concerns, Vice President Sara Duterte has denied any misuse of confidential funds and assured cooperation with ongoing inquiries.
