P12.2 billion disallowed DepEd funds eyed as evidence vs VP

MANILA, Philippines — Some P12.2 billion worth of questionable transactions in the Department of Education (DepEd) flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) but remain unresolved could also be used as evidence in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, an administration lawmaker said yesterday.

“The red flags keep piling up. First, it was P125 million in confidential funds spent in just 11 days at the Office of the Vice President. Now, COA has flagged over P12 billion in unresolved transactions at DepEd under Duterte’s leadership,” Assistant Majority Leader Jay Khonghun said, referring to COA’s disallowance of the transactions made when Duterte was still DepEd chief.

“This isn’t just an oversight – it’s a pattern of seemingly financial mismanagement,” he said, maintaining that this “strengthens even further the impeachment case against Duterte.”

In its 2023 annual audit report, COA flagged DepEd’s alleged failure to settle massive notices of suspension, disallowance and charge, which reached P12.3 billion by the time of Duterte’s resignation as education secretary in July 2024.

The amount was only P11.4 billion in 2022, indicating little to no progress in resolving the flagged transactions, he said.

In a speech marking Constitution Day on Monday, Speaker Martin Romualdez said public servants – especially those in high positions – are not above the law and should always be held accountable for any infraction.

“The 1987 Constitution is not a passive document; it commands obedience, it imposes limits, and most importantly, it demands accountability. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that no institution, no office, and no leader is ever beyond the reach of the law,” Romualdez, president of the Philippine Constitution Association, said.

“We have seen how the Constitution, though written in ink, is tested by the tides of politics, governance, and power. It is resilient, but it is not indestructible. It relies on men and women – lawyers, jurists, scholars, legislators – who believe that no ambition is above the law, and no convenience justifies its disregard,” he said.

Financial records

Khonghun said the House prosecution panel may ask the Senate impeachment court to subpoena Duterte’s financial records to determine whether similar questionable financial practices were done in the OVP.

“The COA report is just the tip of the iceberg. We need to follow the money. This may after all be fresh evidence. If the Vice President has nothing to hide, she should have no problem opening her financial records for scrutiny,” the administration lawmaker said.

Khonghun said the Senate as an impeachment court should take the COA findings into account and ensure full transparency in the proceedings.

“This COA report is damning. It exposes large-scale financial mismanagement in an agency with the largest budget in government. VP Sara must explain these findings, and the Senate must ensure accountability at the highest levels,” he said.

Another member of the “Young Guns” Assistant Majority Leader Pammy Zamora of Taguig City said Duterte’s bank records could be considered “icing on the cake,” although the case against her is already solid even without them.

“The prosecution team is ready to present a strong case, even without the bank records. The evidence we have right now is compelling and backed by documents, testimonies and official records,” Zamora said in a statement.

“But if we can secure the Vice President’s financial records, it will be the icing on the cake – a definitive, undeniable piece of evidence that will speak for itself, supporting several of the Articles of Impeachment,” she added.

“Our case does not depend on a single piece of evidence. We have already connected the dots. The financial records, if obtained, will simply validate and confirm what the documents and testimonies have already revealed,” she pointed out.

Bank secrecy

While emphasizing that the case against Duterte is already well-buttressed, Zamora said the subpoena of her bank records remains a necessary step – not because the case lacks merit, but because public officials must be made to fully account for their finances.

She also stressed that impeachment is exempted from the Bank Secrecy Law (RA 1405), meaning financial records are a fair game in the process, just as they were during the successful 2012 impeachment of the late chief justice Renato Corona, during which such records were presented as evidence.

“The question is simple: if there is nothing to hide, why resist transparency? The Bank Secrecy Law does not apply in impeachment cases, and we trust that the Senate, when it convenes, will see the necessity of making these records available,” Zamora said.

She also hinted that the investigation might involve international financial regulators that could help track offshore transactions.

“Financial trails don’t just stop at our borders. If there are fund movements that require deeper scrutiny, we are prepared to take the necessary steps to ensure full accountability,” she added.

Zamora said the impeachment case is already airtight, and the only question left is whether Duterte will come clean or keep resisting transparency.