MANILA - Davao City had over P2.6 billion in confidential funds from 2016 to 2022, corresponding to the years Vice President Sara Duterte served as mayor.

The 2016 audit report covered her first six months as mayor, taking over after her father Rodrigo Duterte was elected president.

The 2022 report covered her last six months as mayor before becoming vice president and the first six months of her brother Sebastian's term as mayor.

Davao City had confidential funds of about P144 million in 2016, P293 million in 2017, P420 million in 2018, and P460 million each year from 2019 to 2022, according to the published annual audit reports.

The COA told the House of Representatives during the recent budget hearings for 2024 that about 1,707 local government units, 57 national government agencies and 10 state firms are entitled to surveillance funds under their mandates, and are so required to submit quarterly accomplishment reports to the President and Congress and liquidate their surveillance expenses to the COA's Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Unit.

Duterte's use of surveillance money is under the spotlight after the COA told the budget hearing that she spent all of her P125 million 2022 confidential funds in just 11 days. The OVP clarified that it was 19 days corresponding to the day they received the fund from state coffers until the end of the year when the budget would have reverted to state coffers if unexpended.

Duterte's ally, Senator Ronald dela Rosa told Teleradyo Serbisyo’s "Anong Ganap" on Sunday that the Commission on Audit has so far found nothing wrong with the use of the funds.

He said the funds were given to the OVP in the last 19 days of 2022 before the authority to spend expires and the cash reverts to the treasury.

“Paano 'di maubos ng 19 days eh 19 days lang yung allowance para magamit yung pera na yan so within that period of time alam mo naman yung pagrelease ng SARO (Special Allotment Release Order) to the expiration of that SARO is hanggang ganun lang kahaba ang panahon minabuti ng ahensiya na gamitin talaga dahil nakaprogram naman yan lahat nakalagay naman yan lahat kung ano gagawin niya for that year for that particular fiscal year so talagang ginastos within that period of time,” dela Rosa said.

“Bakit sinabi ba ng COA na mali yun? Hindi naman sinabi ng COA na yan ay corruption. Observation lang ng COA naubos within that period of time so is there a violation meron bang violation na ginawa? Meron ba nakita na corruption wala naman yung pagsabi lang na ganun kaiksi ang panahon sapagkagamit ng pera ay sinasabi kaagad nila ginagamit kaagad nila na issue laban sa Office of the Vice President pero wala pang nakita corruption yung COA sa kanilang ginawang audit observation lang mere observation is not mere masasabi mo kaagad per se na violation of law, lalong lalo na sa graft and corrupt practices," he added.

The senator, a close ally of the Vice-President and her father former President Rodrigo Duterte, claimed that the use of surveillance money was exploited by her political enemies in anticipation of her possible presidential candidacy in 2028.

The former national police chief recalled his experience in spending surveillance funds in explaining how it was possible to spend that much money properly even in a short period of time.

“It’s just a matter of implementation, andiyan ang SARO o i-dispose lang natin, i-distribute kaagad yan mga kuwan, end-users gamitin niyo kaagad iyan, nakalista naman doon yung mga programa na gagawin nila,” he said.

“Sigurado yan kapag bunga ang kahoy ay maraming bunga ito’y binabato so that’s klarong pamumulitika iyan. Pamumulitika, di naman lumabas yung issue yan noong panahon ang vice-president ay miyembro ng opposition,” dela Rosa said. Duterte’s predecessor, Leni Robredo, never had any surveillance funds in her term.

Vice President Duterte remains the most popular nationally elected official, according to the latest polls.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Adolfo Azcuna earlier called for the publication of redacted audit reports of confidential and intelligence funds just to boost accountability and transparency in the use of surveillance funds while securing the confidentiality of sensitive or dangerous aspects of intelligence operations.

Azcuna also believes Congress should pass a law governing the audit of surveillance funds. He also disagreed with the planned realignment of surveillance funds in the 2024 budget, saying lawmakers should instead pass a separate law.

• Retired SC justice calls for audit law for CIF; seeks publication of redacted audit reports on CIF

Earlier this week, the House leadership announced plans to strip civilian agencies, including the Office of the Vice President and Department of Education, of their surveillance funds and channel them to agencies tasked with safeguarding the West Philippine Sea.

The House approved the 2024 Budget on final reading last Wednesday, with plans to submit it to the Senate by November.

• COA urged to investigate VP Duterte's P2B confidential funds as Davao mayor

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