Mamamayang Liberal (ML) party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said that the notice of disallowances issued by the Commission on Audit (COA) regarding the confidential expenses of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2022 and 2023 cannot be buried by fake news or the spread of misinformation.

De Lima stressed that the COA notices were based on actual audited documents concerning the use of confidential funds of the office of Vice President Sara Duterte. She reiterated that COA has ordered Duterte to return P448 million in confidential funds following findings of irregularities.

“Aabot sa P448 milyon ang ipinasosoli ng COA kina VP Sara dahil sa nakitang iregularidad sa paggamit ng confidential funds ng OVP noong 2022 at 2023. Hindi ito mga alegasyon lang, kundi desisyon na batay sa nasuring mga aktuwal na dokumento ng COA,” De Lima said in a social media post on Monday, April 20.

She added that the issue “cannot simply be buried by fake news and disinformation” or deflected by avoiding accountability.

“Hindi ito basta-basta lang matatabunan ng mga mga fake news at disinformation. Hindi ito maisasantabi lang ng pag-iwas na sagutin o pagka-desperadong ilihis na lang ang isyu,” she said.

De Lima also cited reports presented during the House Justice Committee impeachment proceedings on April 14, which included a new COA notice of disallowance involving P375 million from the OVP’s P500 million confidential funds in 2023.

This is in addition to a separate P73 million disallowance from the P125 million confidential funds in 2022, which the OVP reportedly appealed but was denied by the Commission.

De Lima further emphasized that public funds must not be misused, stating that taxpayer money “cannot be wasted in just hours or days, or given away to ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ and other fabricated names and questionable individuals.”

“Pera ito ng taumbayan na hindi pwedeng lustayin lang ng ilang oras o ilang araw, o ipamigay lang kay ‘Mary Grace Piattos’ at sa iba pang imbentong pangalan at kaduda-dudang mga personalidad,” De Lima added.

Meanwhile, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña also raised concern over the reported missing funds, questioning where the P448 million went, while criticizing Duterte’s performance as Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd).

“Nakakainit ng ulo isipin kung saan napunta ang ₱448 million na dapat isauli ni VP Sara ayon sa COA,” Cendaña said in a Facebook post.

He also pointed to the education sector issues during Duterte’s tenure, saying she left around 165,000 classroom backlogs, which he said contributed to the lack of adequate learning spaces for students.