Vice Pres Sara Duterte may face graft charges over P73.2M unexplained spending

Vice President Sara Duterte may face graft charges if she fails to explain to the Commission on Audit (COA) how her office spent P73.2 million of its confidential funds for 2022.

House Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe warned that this issue raises serious questions about the proper use of these funds and could lead to criminal liability for graft if not adequately addressed, emphasizing that rules should apply equally to all public officers.

Leaders of the House of Representatives issued stern warnings against Duterte on Tuesday, September 10, ranging from potential constitutional violations to possible criminal liability for graft.

Duterte's office snubbed the second round of House budget deliberations and accused Speaker Martin Romualdez and appropriations committee chairperson Zaldy Co of tampering with Department of Education funding when she was head of agency.

Co denied Duterte’s allegations, stating that her 11-day disbursement of secret funds in 2022 is worse than the pork barrel scandal from a decade ago.

State auditors noted during Tuesday's proceedings that the Office of the Vice President has yet to contest the notice of disallowance issued against it, with Duterte having until February to do so.