The Commission on Audit (CA) report stating that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) spent ₱125 million in confidential funds within 11 days in 2022 was "inaccurate", according to House Appropriations Panel Vice Chair Maria Carmen Zamora on Wednesday, September 27.
Zamora, who sponsors the OVP budget for 2024, said this when asked by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro to confirm the COA report during the plenary debates.
"Mr. Speaker, your honor, to say that the Office of the Vice President spent the confidential fund in 11 days. The Office submits its stand that it is inaccurate," she said.&nbsp;
According to Zamora, the state auditor only based its counting on the OVP budget's utilization which began on December 20 and ended on December 31, 2022, hence 11 days.&nbsp;
She said the OVP started to spend ₱125 million for the implementation of its programs on December 13, 2022 &mdash; the day when the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) was released.
"Immediately, after the release of SARO, the implementation has already started. But the actual payment, as based on the COA report and findings, only started on December 20 up to December 31 which means the actual implementation is not 11 days, it is 19 days," Zamora said.
Castro was taken aback by the House Appropriations Panel Vice Chair's statement.
"So, it was obligated [on] December 13 and then, disbursed December 31. Walang pahinga ang paggasta, walang holiday ang paggasta ng confidential fund," she pointed out.
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Last Monday, September 25, the House Committee on Appropriations senior vice chairperson and Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/ovp's-p125-m-spent-in-11-days" target="_blank" rel="noopener">revealed</a> that the COA report showed that Duterte's office spent ₱125 million in confidential funds within 11 days and not 19 days.
She said the state auditor is presently finishing the liquidation report, and it targets to finish this by November 15.
The OVP's request letter to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) <a href="https://www.dzrh.com.ph/post/ovp-letter-to-dbm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">seeking</a> for ₱403.46 million recalibrated budget in 2022, including the ₱250 confidential funds, was made public on Tuesday, September 26.
Based on the letter, Vice President Sara Duterte requested ₱250 million in confidential funds "for and in consideration of the safe implementation of the various projects and activities in the Good Governance program."

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'Inaccurate' OVP says on P125-M confidential fund spent in 11 days