The latest revelation involving the Office of the Vice President (OVP) has once again shaken the Filipino people.
During the latest House good government committee hearing, it was uncovered that 158 acknowledgment receipts submitted by the OVP to liquidate confidential funds contained incorrect dates which were cited as mere typographical errors and lacked signatures. This glaring irregularity not only raises serious questions about the competency of the OVP under Sara Duterte’s leadership but also brings into question the credibility of these acknowledgement receipts.
The liquidation of disbursed public funds and its audit by the Commission on Audit (COA) is a vital mechanism for transparency, ensuring that government funds are spent appropriately and tracked accurately. But when those receipts are riddled with incorrect dates, it raises an alarm that cannot be ignored. This is no small error. Misdating receipts, especially in such large numbers, suggests that these documents may have been created retroactively to cover up unauthorized or dubious spending.
Why were 158 receipts conveniently misdated? It is hard to view this as an honest mistake. Were these receipts backdated to validate questionable transactions or to gloss over irregularities in the handling of public funds? Without clear answers, the integrity of the OVP is in serious doubt.
The OVP, under Duterte’s leadership, has a responsibility to ensure that every transaction is clearly and honestly documented. And yet, with 158 receipts now cast into question, we’re left wondering whether this is just the tip of the iceberg. If the dates on these documents were manipulated, what else has the OVP been concealing?
It is difficult to believe that an office of this stature would allow such a significant number of receipts to be carelessly misdatedand failed to ensure signature by the payees. This is not just an administrative failure—it appears to be an orchestrated effort to obscure the truth.
The OVP’s staff who have been implicated over the course of the recent House panel hearings continue to hide from facing the inquiry into the utilization of the OVP funds.
The timing of these “mistakes” feels too convenient to ignore. The misdated receipts indicate either gross negligence or, more likely, a willful manipulation of official documents to evade accountability.
In either case, the blame lies squarely on the leadership. Vice President Duterte, as head of the OVP, must answer to the public for these discrepancies. It is her office, after all, that is now embroiled in a scandal.
