State auditor Roderick Wamil
A COMMISSION on Audit (COA) auditor testified Monday that Vice President Sara Z. Duterte was the only Vice President and the only Department of Education (DepEd) secretary whose confidential funds he audited during his assignment with the COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO).
State auditor Roderick Wamil, now an auditing leader in the COA Pasay office, told the Senate impeachment court that he served with the ICFAO from September 2014 to February 2024.
During that period, he said, three vice presidents served: former vice presidents Jejomar Binay and Leni Robredo, and incumbent Vice President Duterte.
However, only Duterte’s Office of the Vice President (OVP) received confidential fund appropriations.
“Tanging si Vice President Sara Duterte lang po ‘yung aking na-audit na may confidential fund,” Wamil said during direct examination by private prosecutor Lorna Kapunan.
Wamil explained that neither Binay nor Robredo received confidential fund appropriations while he was assigned to the ICFAO.
“Dahil po since nung nag-assume po ako nung 2014 sa ICFAU, wala pong naging appropriation for confidential funds si dating Vice President Binay at si dating Vice President Robredo. Tanging si Vice President Sara Duterte lang po yung nagkaroon ng appropriation for the confidential funds,” he said.
Wamil likewise testified that Duterte was the only DepEd secretary whose confidential funds he audited.
He identified former education secretaries Armin Luistro, Leonor Briones and Duterte as the agency heads who served during his assignment with the ICFAO.
According to Wamil, only Duterte’s tenure as Education secretary included confidential fund appropriations.
“Dahil siya lang po ‘yung naging DepEd Secretary na nagkaroon ng confidential funds ang DepEd,” he said.
Wamil testified that he audited P500 million in confidential funds released to the OVP from the fourth quarter of 2022 through the third quarter of 2023.
He also audited P112.5 million in confidential funds released to the DepEd during the first three quarters of 2023.
His testimony forms part of the House prosecution’s presentation of evidence under Article I of the impeachment complaint, which alleges that Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential funds released to the OVP and the DepEd during her tenure as Vice President and Education secretary.
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