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The claim that the Commission on Audit (COA) has cleared Vice President Sara Duterte of alleged fund misuse and that impeachment complaints against her have been dismissed is false, according to fact-checkers.
A viral social media post, which has garnered thousands of reactions and shares, wrongly asserted that the House of Representatives had been “destroyed” and that COA had publicly released receipts exonerating Duterte. The post also misleadingly claimed that an “unmodified opinion” from COA meant Duterte’s office had been cleared of irregularities.
Contrary to these assertions, the impeachment proceedings against Duterte are ongoing. The House justice committee recently issued subpoenas requiring Gloria Camora, a State Auditor from COA’s Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office, to attend the April 14 impeachment hearing. The committee has also requested various documents related to the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) and Department of Education’s confidential expenses in 2022 and 2023.
The subpoena covers documents including the OVP’s submissions related to confidential fund liquidations, evidence of payments signed by alleged suspicious payees such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” and documents concerning Duterte’s tax compliance and reported income.
At the heart of the impeachment case are allegations that Duterte misused approximately P612.5 million in confidential funds during her first 18 months in office – P500 million for the OVP and P112.5 million for the Department of Education, which she also headed. Critics have raised concerns about potential fabrication of submissions to COA, including the use of suspicious identities. Duterte has declined to provide explanations for these identities, citing her inability to discuss intelligence operations.
The misunderstanding appears to stem from COA’s “unmodified opinion” on the OVP’s 2023 financial statements. However, COA clarified in 2022 that such opinions only indicate that financial statements are prepared in accordance with applicable financial reporting frameworks. The commission explicitly stated that an audit opinion does not provide conclusions on an agency’s overall compliance level.
In fact, COA has previously flagged several issues in the OVP’s spending, contradicting claims that Duterte has been cleared of wrongdoing.
The impeachment proceedings against Duterte gained renewed momentum after the Supreme Court barred similar proceedings against her in 2025. New complaints were filed in February 2026, with two out of four complaints declared sufficient in form and substance by the House justice committee, which began hearings on March 25.
This isn’t the first time that false claims about Duterte’s COA audits have circulated. Fact-checkers have previously debunked similar misleading assertions about the Vice President’s financial activities.
The spread of such misinformation highlights the ongoing political tensions surrounding the Vice President and the importance of verifying claims, particularly those related to high-profile impeachment proceedings and alleged financial improprieties in government offices.
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7 Comments
This seems like a complex situation with a lot of conflicting claims. I’m curious to learn more about the specific evidence and audits related to the alleged fund misuse. An unmodified opinion from the COA doesn’t necessarily mean full exoneration.
Good point. The details around the COA’s findings and the ongoing impeachment process will be important to follow closely. I hope the facts can be established through a thorough and impartial investigation.
Interesting fact check. It’s important to get the details right on such sensitive political issues. The ongoing impeachment proceedings against VP Duterte suggest this case is still very much active, despite claims of exoneration.
Agreed. The subpoenas issued by the House justice committee indicate the investigation is still ongoing. We’ll have to see what evidence emerges from the requested documents.
The claim that the impeachment case has been dismissed appears to be false based on the information provided. It’s concerning to see misinformation spreading on such a serious political issue. Fact-checking is crucial to upholding transparency and accountability.
This is a complex and politically charged issue, so I appreciate the detailed fact-checking. It’s important to rely on authoritative sources and not get swept up in unsubstantiated claims, no matter how widely they may be shared online.
Glad to see this being fact-checked thoroughly. The subpoenas issued by the House committee suggest the investigation is still very much active, despite the misleading social media claims. We’ll have to wait and see what the full evidence shows.