Sara Z. Duterte, dubbed by so called ‘truth vloggers’ as “Sara without H,” is running for President in 2028. That’s a claim yet to be officially confirmed. But before you start clapping for her, let’s take a look at realities on the ground, thanks in great part to the Commission on Audit (COA).

Last September 3, 2023, The Philippine Star came out with a nerve wracking story: “DepEd flagged over P10 billion unliquidated cash advances.” Citing COA, the report stated: “The existence of substantial accumulated unliquidated cash advances is attributable to the lapses in the controls placed by management in the granting, liquidation and monitoring of CAs in disregard of the existing rules and regulations and pertinent DepEd guidelines relative thereto.”

Five days earlier, the Philippine Daily Inquirer came out with an earth-shaking article, again citing the COA report: “VP accused of spending P125 million in confidential funds in 19 days.”

Part of the report itemized: “The OVP spent the whole P125-million confidential fund given to the office in a span of just 19 days, from Dec. 13 to Dec. 31, 2022. This translates to P6,578,947.37 or almost P7 million per day,” House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro disclosed. “This implies that P125 million in confidential funds was already spent by Dec. 31, 2022, along with P30 million of the financial assistance, for a total of P155 million.”

In short, Sara was able to wrangle confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) of P125 million from the 2023 budget, which did not carry any amount for such item. It’s like miraculously getting fresh water from a dry bedrock. In response, she was quoted as saying: “There was nothing irregular or unauthorized about its spending and the required liquidation and accomplishment reports have been submitted to the oversight agencies.” 

What is intriguing about the Marcos-approved CIF during a year when there was no such fund being included in the 2022 general appropriations, the amount was spent in just 19 days!

An ever earlier report that came out in Rappler dated July 3, 2023, first the first salvo on how the Office of the President has inappropriately used public funds to advance a clear presidential bid five years from now. The story exposed Sara, saying: “COA flags Sara Duterte’s OVP over immediate creation of satellite offices.”

More importantly, the audit report also stated: “Our audit disclosed that OVP failed to fully observe the processes and procedures required under Republic Act No. 9184 and its implementing rules and regulations in the purchase of its plant, property, and equipment (PPE) and semi-expendable equipment in satellite offices amounting to P668,197.20.”

PPE, Rappler explained, “refers to land, building, and machinery and equipment, among others; semi-expendable equipment property refers to tangible items that meet the criteria of PPE but cost below P50,000.”

To justify the satellite offices, the OVP argued: “These satellite offices were opened to assist individuals to access help, and for swifter response in times of disasters.”

In short, Sara’s office is now the new Office of Civil Defense (OCD) and clearing house of agencies like Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Office (NDRRMO).

Simply said, the association of money with Sara’s preparation for future presidential bid has become even more palpable. With P150 million allotted for Department of Education’s CIF and P500 million for the same purpose under the OVP, that’s P650 millions of free load. Multiply it by five and a half years (2023 to June 2028), that’s a cool P3.580 billion in CIFs.

If that were so, then that makes Sara (without H) the most sanctified being. It also underscores the observation that when people are not even given the courtesy of respect when it comes to ‘ayuda’ and other band-aid helps, Sara and company are feasting on taxpayer’s money.