OVP gets third straight CoA nod

For the third consecutive year, Vice President Sara Duterte’s office received an unmodified opinion from the Commission on Audit (CoA) for calendar year 2024.

In its 2024 annual audit report, state auditors once again affirmed that the financial statements of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) were accurate, reliable and compliant with applicable laws, regulations and accounting standards.

“We believe the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our unmodified opinion,” the CoA stated.

“In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly in all material respects,” it added.

The OVP recorded a utilization rate of 85.55 percent under the 2024 General Appropriations Act, reflecting sound fiscal management despite the challenges of expanded operations and increased public service demands.

An unmodified (or unqualified) opinion signifies that the financial statements are prepared in accordance with the prescribed financial reporting framework, particularly the International Public Sector Accounting Standards and the International Standards of Supreme Audit Institutions.

The OVP said the result underscores its ongoing commitment to transparency, accountability, and prudent use of public funds, in line with the principles of good governance and sound financial management upheld by state auditors.

No confidential funds

The OVP will not be asking for confidential funds in its proposed P903-million budget for 2026, newly appointed OVP spokesperson Ruth Castelo said on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters at a press briefing at the OVP Central Office, Castelo said the 2026 budget proposal carries no line item for confidential or intelligence funds.

“There are no confidential funds. We didn’t request any,” she said. “If anyone decides to allocate it, that’s their call.”

Initially, the OVP submitted a proposed budget of P733 million for 2026 to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), maintaining the same level as this year’s allocation. The DBM, however, made an upward adjustment, increasing the proposed figure by around P60 million.

Castelo said the OVP later submitted an addendum, requesting additional funding primarily for personnel services and IT equipment.

“Naturally, these come with a cost... The final amount approved by DBM was P903 million.”

The bulk of the increase, Castelo explained, will go toward salaries for new hires and operational enhancements.

The OVP’s budget has become a flashpoint in recent years, especially after it received P125 million in confidential funds in 2022 — which critics noted was spent in a matter of days.