House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe, Vice President Sara Duterte (Facebook)

House Majority Leader Zamboanga City 2nd district Rep. Mannix Dalipe says that Vice President Sara Duterte may be liable for graft if she fails to justify P73.2 million in intelligence expenses disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA), and a supposed P12.3 billion in similar “disallowances and suspensions” in the Department of Education (DepEd) in 2023. 

“More than just allegations of mismanagement, she may be held liable for graft, for possible violation of the anti-graft laws, if she cannot adequately explain and justify the adverse findings, and if the COA does not accept her explanations and justifications,” Dalipe said in a statement Tuesday, Sept. 10. 

The Mindanao solon urged COA to make a final report soon on the questionable disbursements, together with its recommendations. 

As it is, he said COA has been asking the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to return the P73.2 million that had been disallowed or flagged from her spending of P125 million in intelligence funds that were used up in just 11 days, or P11.36 million a day, in December 2022, he said. 

Dalipe said the audit commission had been similarly requiring her, as education secretary, and other DepEd officials to allegedly repay the government of P12.3 billion in expenses that were of doubtful legality and validity. 

The Vice President served as DepEd secretary at the start of the Marcos administration until she stepped down last July 19. 

In its audit of the P125-million intelligence fund of the OVP, COA noted several irregularities, including the late submission of liquidation reports, irregularities in notarization dates, and the failure to submit required accomplishment reports to pertinent offices in a timely manner. 

The House leader said the most glaring concern was the unexplained disallowance, which amounts to more than half of the confidential funds used by the OVP in 2022. 

"This raises serious questions about the propriety of how these funds were used. The fact that ₱73 million was flagged means that the public deserves answers. If the Vice President's office cannot explain or rectify these discrepancies, this could lead to more than just administrative penalties. It could point to criminal liability for graft," he said. 

READ THIS: 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/9/10/bratinella-to-the-max-makabayan-solons-castigate-vp-sara-for-no-showing-budget-hearing

COA’s audit further revealed that the 2023 confidential fund liquidations were still under scrutiny, with two Audit Observation Memorandums (AOMs) issued covering the first three quarters. 

Dalipe noted that while no notices of disallowance have been issued yet, the AOMs suggest significant deficiencies that must be addressed to avoid potential disallowances in the future. 

He called on relevant agencies, notably COA and Congress, which has oversight power over public funds, to take the audit findings on OVP intelligence funds and DepEd expenses seriously. 

The majority leader said the audit and investigation of these disbursements should be pursued to their logical conclusion. 

“No one, regardless of position, is above the law. If public funds were misused, we owe it to the Filipino people to hold those responsible accountable,” Dalipe stressed.