Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo on Wednesday, Aug. 12, questioned the Office of the Vice President’s P16 million confidential fund spending on safe-house rentals in 2022 for 11 days, noting that the amount appeared higher in comparison with daily rental rates in exclusive subdivisions.

During the 15th day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo questioned COA auditor Xylene Mae Del Campo about the OVP’s P16 million expenditure for 34 safe houses.

Tulfo compared the amount with rental rates for properties in several exclusive subdivisions, citing 2022 real estate data showing monthly rates of about P450,000 in Forbes Park, P200,000 in Corinthian Gardens and P290,000 in Ayala Alabang.

He asked whether the OVP’s safe houses were located in such exclusive subdivisions.

Del Campo said the documents submitted to COA did not contain the addresses of the safe houses.

“Yung acknowledgment receipts lang po yung naging basehan namin doon sa payment of rental of safe house,” she said.

Tulfo asked whether the records specified locations such as Forbes Park, Amanpulo, Boracay or Dasmariñas.

“Wala po (There's none),” Del Campo replied.

Tulfo then compared the OVP’s safe-house rental expenses with those of other government agencies, asking whether other agencies had reported similarly large amounts for safe houses.

Del Campo said they had not.

“Hindi po ganoon kalaki (It's not that high),” she said.

Tulfo asked Del Campo whether, based on her experience, the OVP’s spending could be considered excessive, abusive or unusually high.

Del Campo said the expenditure was not among COA’s audit findings because auditors relied on the certification of the OVP’s Special Disbursing Officer that the confidential funds were used for necessary and lawful purposes.

Meanwhile, del Campo said on Wednesday, Aug. 12, that they are not bound by an agency’s declaration that an activity or expenditure is confidential.

This was after Senator-judge Joel Villanueva pressed on COA’s independent authority to examine the use of government confidential funds. Del Campo said the commission independently evaluates whether confidential funds were properly used, with its audit anchored on the Joint Circular governing confidential and intelligence funds.

Villanueva asked Del Campo whether an agency’s classification of an activity as confidential automatically binds COA, adding that COA, as a constitutional body, has the authority to independently determine whether an activity or expenditure is genuinely confidential in nature and falls within the allowable uses under the Joint Circular.