COA flags OVP over relief operations, documentation lapses

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged the Sara Duterte-led Office of the Vice President (OVP) over a series of control and documentation deficiencies in its disaster relief operations, raising concerns over the reliability and verifiability of its distribution records.

In its consolidated audit report on the country's disaster risk reduction and management funds for calendar year 2025, state auditors reported that the OVP’s relief operations suffered from inconsistent reporting, unauthorized operational deviations, “issuance of open-ended mission orders,” and incomplete documentation.

“Control and documentation deficiencies were observed in the implementation of Relief Operations, such as: (a) inconsistencies between Situational Report (SitReps) from the agencies/LGUs concerned and Office of the Vice President (OVP) SitReps; (b) deviations from approved Mission Orders during actual operations; (c) issuance of open-ended Mission Orders; (d) deficiencies in beneficiary documentation and distribution records; and (e) incomplete, missing, or non-submission of required documents, contrary to Section 9.0 of the Policy Manual on Disaster Operations Program dated June 26, 2024 and Section G of OVP Office Order No. 2025-74. These deficiencies reduced assurance on the completeness, reliability, and verifiability of relief distribution records and weakened controls over Relief Operations. (OVP).”

State auditors discovered significant discrepancies between the Situational Reports (SitReps) prepared by local government units or affected agencies and those drafted by the OVP. These inconsistencies involved welfare goods valued at P19.67 million.

The COA noted differences in the reported number of affected families, while some local reports completely lacked beneficiary counts.

“Although management attributed these to evolving disaster conditions and subsequent validation, supporting documents for the revisions were not consistently attached. Consequently, the reliability of the SitReps used as basis for planning relief operations and issuing Mission Orders was diminished,” the COA’s report read.

The COA also called out the OVP for deviating from its own approved Mission Orders during actual field deployments.

State auditors identified 24 relief operations, involving P39,009,054.98 worth of welfare goods, that altered schedules, distribution sites, and the volume of relief items and rice without securing documented approvals.

“The deviations included changes in schedules, distribution locations, quantities of relief items, and the amount of rice distributed. While management cited operational adjustments due to changing field conditions, the absence of documented approvals weakened assurance that the changes were properly authorized and supported,” the COA said.

Furthermore, the OVP issued eight open-ended Mission Orders for distributions totaling P84.12 million. Because these orders failed to specify target beneficiaries, auditors noted that the OVP lacked a concrete basis for determining the exact quantity of goods requested and distributed.

The audit further exposed widespread deficiencies in beneficiary documentation and distribution records.

State auditors also flagged uncertified Master Lists, unsigned Relief Distribution Sheets (RDS), duplicate entries, and incomplete beneficiary information.

In 11 relief operations involving more than 200 beneficiaries, the OVP inappropriately applied documentary requirements meant for individual crises rather than the procedures mandated by its Disaster Operations Policy Manual, leading to inconsistent practices and a lack of verifiability.

Compounding these issues, relief operations serving 33,980 beneficiaries and utilizing P25.27 million in welfare goods completely lacked vital pre-operation documents, such as verified Master Lists and SitReps.

Citing one instance, the COA said that the OVP could not produce the required RDS, claiming the records were lost during Typhoon Kristine, and instead substituted them with explanatory certifications.

The COA has directed the OVP management to implement stricter review procedures over its liquidation and operational documents.

State auditors recommended that the OVP require its satellite offices and disaster personnel to properly document and attach all field adjustments to their Requisition and Issue Slips.

a. strengthen the review procedures over Relief Operations to ensure completeness, consistency, and accuracy of operational and liquidation documents;

b. require concerned Satellite Offices (SOs) and Disaster Operation Center (DOC) personnel to ensure that adjustments in SitReps, Mission Orders, beneficiary lists, and distribution records are properly documented, supported, and attached to the RIS and that beneficiary documentation, including Master Lists and RDS, are complete, verified, signed, and supported with appropriate authorization when representatives receive relief goods and further strengthen the documentation of operational adjustments and corresponding approvals through activity logs, memoranda, incident reports, or other appropriate records whenever practicable;

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