Ridon: House of Representatives prosecutor and Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon criticized officials from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) for allegedly seeking a less formal audit action from the Commission on Audit (COA). Ridon described the officials' actions as 'audacious' during a press briefing on Tuesday, emphasizing that they had no authority to request an 'audit query' instead of an Audit Observation Memorandum (AOM) for deficiencies found in their confidential fund submissions.
According to Philippines News Agency, state auditor Roderick Wamil testified that OVP Chief of Staff Zuleika Lopez and lawyer Michael Poa, who was DepEd's chief of staff and spokesperson at the time, met with COA officials in September 2023. The meeting included COA Assistant Commissioner and Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (ICFAO) head Nilda Plaras and audit team head Gloria Camora. Lopez and Poa inquired about the liquidation process and required documents for the confidential funds of OVP and DepEd, and were referred to Joint Circular No. 2015-01, which governs the management of such funds.
Wamil reported that during the meeting, Lopez and Poa requested whether an audit query could be issued instead of an AOM if deficiencies were identified. He noted that he was unfamiliar with the term 'audit query' as it was not recognized under the joint circular's audit actions. ICFAO subsequently denied the request and issued AOMs after finding deficiencies in the agencies' submissions.
Ridon emphasized COA's sole authority to determine the appropriate audit document for a government agency. He criticized the request as an attempt to influence COA into providing a less severe response, characterizing it as a request for a 'slap on the wrist.' Ridon pointed out that the officials likely anticipated formal audit findings and sought a less consequential response. He highlighted the audit covered PHP612.5 million in confidential funds, with PHP500 million allocated to the OVP and PHP112.5 million to DepEd during Duterte's tenure as secretary.
