OVP: ‘No funds lost’ as COA flags recording defects in P168M relief ops

MANILA, Philippines — After the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged documentary deficiencies in its relief operations worth almost P168 million, the office of Vice President Sara Duterte on Friday said no funds were lost in these transactions.

The Office of the Vice President (PVP) reported that all funds are now accounted for.

The relief operations of this office were flagged in a 273-page COA report on the 2025 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Fund.

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The report was submitted on August 28 to Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, the concurrent chairman of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

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The OVP clarified that the matter cited in the DRRM Funds Audit Report “pertains to deficiencies in certain pre-operation documentary requirements set by the OVP itself.”

It further noted that these requirerments are “part of its internal procedures, and not requirements imposed by COA or other laws.”

“No funds were lost, and all funds are accounted for,” the OVP said in a statement.

“The relief operations were actually carried out, and the beneficiaries were recorded and validated, based on the available supporting documents and field records submitted to the COA Audit Team,” it added.

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According to the audit report, inconsistencies were observed between situational reports (sitreps) from the agencies or local government units concerned and OVP’s own sitreps amounting to ₱19.67 million. 

COA had noted deviations from the approved mission orders during actual operations worth ₱39 million, as well as the issuance of “open-ended” mission orders amounting to ₱84.1 million.

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Furthermore, the state auditors’ submission also cited deficiencies in beneficiary documentation and distribution records.

They also observed incomplete, missing or non-submission of required documents, in the amount of ₱25.2 million.

To address this, the COA made several recommendations to the OVP.

The commission told the vice president’s office that it should strengthen the review procedures on relief operations to ensure completeness, consistency and accuracy of the OVP’s documents.

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For its part, the OVP said it “continues to strengthen its processes for documentation, validation and monitoring to ensure that the records of every operation are complete and in order, especially during emergency responses and calamities.” /apl