Vice President Sara Duterte has authorized the lease of 34 safehouses since she assumed office in 2022 that cost government rental rates ranging from PHP25,000 to a whopping PHP1 million per night, for a total of PHP16 million in just ten days during the Christmas season of 2022..



During the House of Representatives haring on the probe into the allegedly excessive expenditures of the Office of the Vice President, the Commission on Audit presented the documents Duterte submitted to justify the procurement.



COA representatives told the House Committee on Good Government and Publilc Accountability that in December, 2022 the OVP spent PHPO8.75 million in rental payments. Of this amount PHP3.7 million was disbursed for December 27; PHP2.6 million for December 28 and PHP2.4 million for December 29.



Lawmakers were taken aback by the huge expenditures made by the OVP.



The COA said notice of disallowance had already been issued against the PHP 73 million of the PHP125 million confidential and intelligence funds of the OVP in 2022.



However, the disallowances were made against the following: PHP34.93 million in reward payment: PHP34.857 million for rewards in the form of various goods; and PHP 3.5 million for office furnishings and computers.



The expenditures for rentals have apparently been allowed by COA.



The House good government panel launched its probe of the OVP’s alleged misuse of public funds after Duterte demonstrated non-cooperation during the budget hearing of her office’s proposed 2025 allocation.



The Lower House decided to slash the amount sought by the OVP by more than half , to a total of PHP1.3 billion.



Aside from the questionable expenditures, congressmen also noted that acknowledgment receipts of payments have rounded off amounts. Some contain vague dates and costs.



Examining the COA documents presented through video slides, lawmakers noted that one safehouse receipt cost P45,000 per night.



Committee chairman Rep. Joel Chua said the rate was higher than “high-endresorts like Shangri-La Boracay.



The examined documents represented disbursement made from the OVP’s confidential and intelligence fund.