STATE auditor Roderick Wamil told the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday that the request of officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Vice President Sara Z. Duterte for the Commission on Audit (COA) to issue an audit query instead of an Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) is not allowed under the rules governing confidential and intelligence funds.
Wamil, formerly assigned with the Commission on Audit’s (COA) Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO), reaffirmed the testimony he gave a day earlier that OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and then Department of Education (DepEd) chief of staff and spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa met with ICFAO officials in September 2023 after auditors found deficiencies in the confidential fund liquidations of the two agencies.
According to Wamil, Lopez and Poa asked whether the ICFAO could issue an audit query instead of an AOM.
Questioned by Senator-Judge Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Wamil said the request was denied because Joint Circular No. 2015-01, which governs the release, use, liquidation and audit of confidential and intelligence funds, does not provide for an audit query as an audit action.
“Yes po, since wala naman po siya doon sa aming Joint Circular, Your Honor,” Wamil said when asked why the ICFAO refused to issue an audit query.
Pangilinan then asked whether granting the request would have violated the Joint Circular.
“Yes po, Your Honor,” Wamil replied.
Instead of issuing an audit query, the ICFAO proceeded with issuing an AOM after finding deficiencies in the confidential fund submissions of the OVP and DepEd.
Wamil is one of the prosecution’s witnesses for Article I of the impeachment complaint, which alleges the misuse of P612.5 million in confidential funds released to the OVP and DepEd during Duterte’s tenure.
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