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'Kapalmuks': Ridon irked after learning what VP Duterte subordinates asked COA to do
Philippines
National
'Kapalmuks': Ridon irked after learning what VP Duterte subordinates asked COA to do
'Kapalmuks': Ridon irked after learning what VP Duterte subordinates asked COA to do
Published Aug 4, 2026 11:43 pm
At A Glance
- Rep. Terry Ridon slams as improper the request by Vice President Sara Duterte's aides for COA to soften its audit of P612.5‑million confidential funds.
- COA auditor Roderick Wamil testifies that OVP and DepEd chiefs sought an audit query instead of an Audit Observation Memorandum.
- COA rejects the request and issues AOMs after finding deficiencies in the confidential fund submissions.
Lawyers Michael Poa (left), Zuleika Lopez (Senate PRIB, House PPAB)
House prosecutor Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon described as "irregular" and "improper" the alleged request of Vice President Sara Duterte's subordinates for the Commission on Audit (COA) to temper its actions on the audit of confidential funds.
Ridon was referring to COA auditor Roderick Wamil's revelation on Tuesday, Aug. 4 during the continuation of respondent Duterte’s Senate impeachment trial.
Wamill testified on COA's audit report on the P612.5-million confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which for a time was simultaneously under the control of Duterte.
“Medyo makapal ang mukha ng mga involved doon sa OVP at [DepEd] to even ask an audit query from the [COA],” a visibly irked Ridon said in a press conference after the Senate impeachment trial.
(It is quite brazen of those involved in the OVP and DepEd to even ask for an audit query from the COA.)
He said COA alone has the authority to decide what audit document to issue to a government agency. “It is not subject to a request. It is not subject to a favor by any other agency."
Prosecution witness Wamil said that in mid-September 2023, OVP chief-of-staff, lawyer Zuleika Lopez and then-DepEd chief-of-staff and spokesperson, lawyer Michael Poa met with him and requested for the softer audit action regarding the secret funds.
At that time, Wamil was handling the audit of the confidential funds of both the OVP and DepEd.
Poa is now a member of Duterte’s defense team in the impeachment trial. He even carried out cross-examination on Wamill Tuesday.
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon (Ellson Quismorio/ MANILA BULLETIN)
“They asked po if instead of an Audit Observation Memorandum(AOM), in case may audit findings, ay audit query na lang po iyong i-issue sa kanila,” he told the court.
(They asked if, instead of an AOM, in case there are audit findings, an audit query be issued to them instead.)
They knew what was coming
Ridon commented: “The meeting itself is actually irregular. It was improper. It should not have happened."
He characterized the request from Lopez and Poa as an attempt to influence COA into giving the agencies what he called a mere “slap on the wrist".
“They tried to influence the agency. Instead of issuing an [AOM] for both the OVP and the [DepEd], they wanted a slap on the wrist, an audit query memorandum lang po."
Ridon said the request indicated that the officials anticipated formal audit findings and sought a less consequential response. “They knew that an audit observation was forthcoming. ‘Pero let’s have a meeting, baka pwede naman, audit query na lang,’” he said.
(But let's have a meeting, maybe you could make it an audit query instead.)
Wamil testified that he was unfamiliar with an audit query because it was not among the audit actions provided under Joint Circular (JC) No. 2015-01, which governed the use and audit of confidential and intelligence funds.
He said COA's Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO) rejected the request and later issued AOMs after finding deficiencies in the agencies’ confidential fund submissions.