Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said Saturday, April 18, that the Commission on Audit’s (COA) decision to uphold its disallowance of ₱73 million in confidential funds spent by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in December 2022 was “fair game,” stressing it followed due process.
“If this was political, it would have been rushed. Instead, it took three years. That is not harassment—that is due process,” Ridon said.
COA’s ruling was highlighted Tuesday, April 14, during the House Committee on Justice’s hearings on probable cause in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case.
COA Auditor Gloria Camora, team leader of the COA Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, told the panel that the agency denied the OVP’s appeal and affirmed the disallowance of the ₱73.28 million in question.
She also confirmed that COA was asking OVP officials to return the money.
Ridon emphasized that the findings were the result of a three-year audit process.
“Hindi ito minadali. Dumaan ito sa audit, sa paliwanag ng ahensya, sa review, at sa proseso ng apela. Lahat ng panig ay nabigyan ng pagkakataong sumagot,” he said.
“It is not speculation—it is based on records. And when such findings persist after due process, they raise serious questions that cannot be ignored,” he added.
Ridon clarified that the impeachment process is not meant to determine guilt but to establish probable cause for a Senate trial.
“This is about probable cause, not conviction. The purpose is to allow the evidence—including COA findings—to be examined in the proper forum,” he said.
The Vice President is accused of misusing a total of ₱612.5 million in confidential funds. (Ellson Quismorio)
