A COMMISSION on Audit (COA) auditor told the Senate Impeachment Court Monday that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) reported ₱10 million in confidential-fund spending for “incentives or traveling expenses” without submitting a document supporting the disbursement.
Former Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office state auditor Roderick Wamil identified the entry in the OVP’s revised accomplishment report for its ₱125-million confidential fund in 2022.
“Meron po silang item na payment of incentives or traveling expenses relative to the confidential operations of the OVP na ₱10 million, na hindi allowable expense based on Item 4.8 of Joint Circular 2015-01,” Wamil testified during direct examination by private prosecutor Atty. Lorna Kapunan.
The report grouped the amount under “incentives or traveling expenses” without establishing during this portion of the testimony how much was spent separately on incentives and travel.
Travel spending has drawn public interest because Duterte has undertaken several publicly reported foreign trips during her tenure. In August 2025, reports have documented nine overseas trips to seven countries since July 2024, including three visits to the Netherlands.
Duterte continued traveling abroad in 2026, obtaining authority for a May trip covering the Netherlands, South Korea, Belgium, Germany and the United Kingdom. The authority stated that the trip would be undertaken while she was on leave and at no cost to the government.
Most recently, Duterte went on an approved July 16-to-31 trip covering Qatar, Germany, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and the Netherlands while her impeachment trial was proceeding.
The OVP described that trip as involving official and personal engagements and said no government funds would be used by Duterte. She appeared at the “Free Duterte Now” rally outside the International Criminal Court in The Hague on July 29 after visiting her detained father, former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Her foreign-travel history provides context for the public interest in a vaguely described ₱10-million travel-related entry. It does not establish that the OVP’s 2022 confidential funds financed any of her later overseas trips.
Wamil said his audit team considered the OVP’s revised report before issuing a supplemental Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM).
“I gave due consideration po doon sa kanilang supplemental submission, and then nag-issue po kami ng supplemental AOM in consideration of their additional submission,” he said.
The supplemental AOM reiterated that the OVP had not submitted records showing the payments behind the entries in its revised report.
“Wala pa rin silang isinumiteng documentary evidence of payments. So ni-reiterate po namin dito sa aming second AOM ’yung non-submission of documentary evidence of payments,” Wamil testified.
Kapunan asked what the OVP had provided specifically for the ₱10-million entry.
“Itong ₱10 million na ginamit bilang liquidation sa travel expenses ng Office of the Vice President para sa confidential fund, anong mga dokumentong sinubmit para dito?” she asked.
Joint Circular No. 2015-01 permits the rental of a transport vehicle related to confidential activities but does not list unrestricted travel expenses among the allowable confidential-fund uses. It also prohibits salaries, overtime, additional compensation, allowances and other fringe benefits except when authorized by law.
Wamil said the OVP later submitted two responses, saying that the only evidence offered to support the payments consisted of acknowledgment receipts.
“Ang tanging isinumite lang po nila in support of their payments ay ’yung documentary evidence of payments in the form of acknowledgment receipts,” Wamil said.
The testimony did not identify any acknowledgment receipt as specifically supporting the ₱10-million incentives or travel entry.
Asked what had been submitted to support that particular disbursement, Wamil answered: “Wala po silang isinumiteng document supporting that disbursement.”
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