Manila: At least 23 curious names, some resembling those of public figures and others referring to food, appeared Tuesday on selected acknowledgment receipts submitted by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) to support confidential fund expenditures in 2023.
According to Philippines News Agency, in her testimony, Commission on Audit (COA) auditor Xylene Mae Del Campo confirmed before the Senate impeachment court that the receipts shown by the prosecution formed part of the documents the OVP submitted to the Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO) in response to audit observations. Del Campo testified that she tabulated the acknowledgment receipts based on the dates they were executed, the expense, and the amount.
For the first two quarters of 2023, the prosecution said Del Campo's tabulations covered 1,049 acknowledgment receipts - 519 for the first quarter and 530 for the second. Among the selected receipts carried the names Pia Piattos-Lim, Ralph Josh Bacon, Anne Ongpauco, Heart Santiago, Feonna Villegas, Beth Revilla, Clarisse Hontiveros, Jose Diokno Jr., Diane Maple Lapid, and John A. Lapid Jr.
Documents shown in court indicate the following expenses: PHP140,000 under Piattos-Lim for the purchase of information; PHP150,000 under Bacon for the same purpose; PHP250,000 under Santiago for supplies; and PHP500,000 under Villegas for an expense described as medical and food aid.
For the third quarter, covering July 14 to Sept. 30, the names presented were Beverly Claire Pampano, Matthew N. Keso, Nova Santos, Salah Casim, Renan Piatos, Xiaome Ocho, Jay Kamote, Miggy Mango, Kokoy Villamin, 'Contis, Connor Adrian,' Honeylet Camille Sy, Kristine Applegate Estrada, and Denise Tanya Escudero. The corresponding receipts included PHP250,000 under Keso, PHP200,000 under Kamote, PHP50,000 under Mango, and PHP120,000 under Escudero. Their stated purposes included purchases of information or supplies and reward payments.
Del Campo clarified that ICFAO conducted a compliance audit and did not verify whether the named recipients existed or were related to similarly named public figures. The auditor also distinguished an allowable expense from a properly supported transaction, acknowledging that the purchase of information is allowed. For supplies, however, she said the acknowledgment receipts did not establish where the items were bought or how they were used.
Del Campo testified that for acknowledgment receipts of purchase of supplies, additional documentation was requested to ascertain that these were really used in buying supplies. The OVP also submitted an April 4, 2024 certification by Col. Raymund Dante Lachica and Protective Intelligence Operations Reports to support reward payments. The certification referred to surveillance and information-gathering in 127 areas in the first quarter and 111 areas in the second quarter.
Del Campo said the reports listed Vice Presidential engagements, probable threats, and operational timelines but did not show the particular result required to justify rewards. She noted that the certification only contained a general statement that there were no untoward incidents, which was not sufficient.
For the third quarter, Del Campo identified four issues cited in an Aug. 8, 2024 Audit Observation Memorandum: missing documentary evidence of payment, PHP35 million in rewards without proof of successful information-gathering or surveillance, unspecified confidential activities in the physical and financial plan, and an unsigned receipt portion of the disbursement voucher.
