House Prosecutor and Representative Terry Ridon clarifies that the Commission on Audit's unmodified opinion does not nullify the directive for the Office of the Vice President to return P448 million in confidential funds.
On July 18, 2026, House Prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Representative Terry Ridon stated that the Commission on Audit’s (COA) recent issuance of an unmodified opinion for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) does not affect the prior order mandating the return of P448 million in confidential funds by the OVP under Vice President Sara Duterte. Ridon emphasized that an unmodified opinion indicates the financial statements are well-presented but does not necessarily confirm compliance with all laws, regulations, or auditing rules. Notices of disallowance issued by COA regarding the OVP’s spending remain valid. Specifically, COA reaffirmed a notice concerning P73 million of confidential funds disbursed from December 21 to 31, 2022, and another related to P375 million disbursed in the first three quarters of 2023. Ridon expressed confidence in persuading the Senate impeachment court to subpoena financial records of Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio, rejecting allegations from Duterte’s camp that this constitutes a “fishing expedition.” Ridon pointed out that the investigation involves substantial transactions totaling P6.7 billion over 20 years, including P4.4 billion deposited into the Duterte-Carpio accounts. He underlined the necessity of establishing a baseline to assess the Vice President’s assets. Efforts to obtain comments from Duterte’s camp were unsuccessful as of publication time.
Sources referenced:
- https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/995317/order-ovp-confidential-funds-coa-opinion/story/
