Manila: A House leader on Tuesday urged the House Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the Commission on Audit’s (COA) findings on PHP12.3 billion in alleged unsettled financial transactions at the Department of Education (DepEd) during Vice President Sara Duterte’s tenure as secretary.

According to Philippines News Agency, House Assistant Majority Leader and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun stated that the COA’s findings would strengthen the impeachment case against Duterte. Khonghun referred to COA’s 2023 audit report, which flagged DepEd’s alleged failure to resolve notices of suspension, disallowance, and charge, increasing from PHP11.4 billion in 2022 to PHP12.3 billion by the end of Duterte’s tenure as education secretary in June of the previous year.

‘The red flags keep piling up. First, it was PHP125 million in confidential funds spent in just 11 days at the Office of the Vice President. Now, COA has flagged over PHP12 billion in unresolved transactions at DepEd under Duterte’s leadership. This isn’t just an oversight-it’s a pattern of seemingly financial mismanagement,’ Khonghun remarked.

The House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, the lower chamber’s version of the Blue Ribbon panel, has previously investigated the Office of the Vice President’s use of confidential funds, including PHP125 million spent within an 11-day period in December 2022. The panel also examined DepEd’s PHP112.5-million confidential fund, where the Philippine Statistics Authority found discrepancies in the birth records of listed recipients.

These inquiries have contributed to the impeachment complaints against Duterte. On February 5, the House impeached Duterte, marking her as the first Philippine vice president to face such proceedings. Khonghun indicated that the Senate, acting as an impeachment court, may subpoena Duterte’s financial records for further examination.

‘The COA report is just the tip of the iceberg. We need to follow the money. If the Vice President has nothing to hide, she should have no problem opening her financial records for scrutiny,’ Khonghun stated. He also urged the Senate impeachment court to 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,’ Khonghun concluded.